


Re-Turning Fate's Wheel

by AniyuandAnayi (Aniyu_Shadowraven)



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: Aura-using Satoshi, I will include Japanese to English lists at the end of each chapter, Japanese names in use, Other, POSSIBLE future hints of romance, and edited because my direction for the fic has changed, cross-posted from ffnet, eventually all characters will be mentioned, integration of game lore and elements from X and Y, may end up including yaoi/slash hetero and yuri/femslash but I don't know yet, mentions of bullying/violent bullies, though not intended at this time, will integrate a couple game-only characters, will update tags as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-05 18:16:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 41,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13393497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aniyu_Shadowraven/pseuds/AniyuandAnayi
Summary: This is my story by the same title cross-posted from ffnet, as I haven't been able to access my account there in over a year now. There will be changes as my ideas for the fic have changed a bit over time.In the aftermath of Fleur-de-lis activating the Ultimate Weapon when on the brink of defeat, Gekkouga is one of the only survivors in Miare City. Arceus decided the only way to avert this disaster is to send Gekkouga back in Time, where his decisions will change the course of history forever.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> - _Italicized_ is thoughts
> 
> - _"Italicized is Pokemon Speech"_
> 
> - _::Italicized is Pokemon Telepathy::_
> 
> -Whoops, forgot the disclaimer. I do not own Pokemon!!

Pain was the first thing Gekkouga noticed when he regained consciousness, followed by the sight of broken concrete, glass, steel, and twisted roots all around him. Shifting, the Shinobi Frog cringed as his entire left side throbbed, certain he was sporting several fractures along with bone-deep bruising. He just knew Satoshi and the team wou––

Eyes widened as his memory sparked at the thought of his family. All of them kidnapped and tortured at Fleur-de-lis’ whims. Alan finally coming to his senses to help them. Beating Mega Gyarados and Kaenjishi. Fleur-de-lis making an order to “activate the weapon”…and _a massive explosion_.

Panic overriding the pain, Gekkouga forced his way out of the rubble, desperate to find his family…and he gazed around in horror at what he could see.

Miare City had been utterly destroyed, no single building was whole, and there were blackened twisted roots…and _bodies_ everywhere. The closest one he recognized was formidable Lizardon, broken and still, with an equally still Alan wrapped in his arms. Fear pulsed through the Water/Dark-type, as Satoshi had been right next to the pair when the explosion occurred, but he couldn’t see his young trainer. Gekkouga immediately focused inward, reaching for that bright warmth that was his connection to Satoshi, only for despair and denial to grip him when he discovered an icy void where the bond _should have been_. Wrenching himself back to reality, Gekkouga began calling out as he scoured the area for his family.

He found Numelgon first, and the Shinobi Frog shuddered as he took in the misshapen, smashed blob, the soft purple melting into a murky grey. There was no life in the gentle dragon, nothing Gekkouga could do for him but bow his head with a mournful prayer. Fiarrow was sprawled on some rubble just below Numelgon, the concave of his torso telling what had killed fiery bird, and Gekkouga cried at the loss of the first Pokemon he had assisted in bringing into the family.

Luchabull and Onvern were just a few feet over and under more rubble. It was clear Luchabull, despite the size difference, had attempted to shield the younger Pokemon from damage. A steel beam combined with gravity was their end. Again, Gekkouga bowed his head in prayer for the pair, tears sliding down his face as he whispered goodbye to his brother warrior and the baby of the family.

Pikachu was directly below the pair, but Gekkouga only saw his tail peeking out beneath a slab of thick concrete. The pool of red creeping out underneath was enough to tell Gekkouga his fate, and he was reluctant to reveal the carnage in full. But the only place Satoshi was likely to be at this point was beside his oldest friend, his first Pokemon, and Gekkouga _needed_ to find his trainer.

It was bitterly ironic that the boy wasn’t there –just his hat, torn and smashed. The sight of Pikachu’s state was haunting, even more so because one tiny paw was holding tight to the hat.

The despair became overwhelming as the Shinobi Frog moved away from the Electric Mouse, still searching for Satoshi. There was no denial now, no doubt that his beloved trainer was dead, but he needed to find him, if only to say goodbye. Finally, nearly an hour of struggling with rubble later, Gekkouga fell into a pocket of space where sheets of glass from Prism Tower stood jagged. There, in a trail of red and glass shards was Satoshi, curled on his side in a way that showed he had not passed immediately, but very slowly as he tried to crawl out of the tomb-like pocket.

Heart shattering with every move, Gekkouga fell to his knees and crawled over to his trainer’s body, ignoring the glass now cutting him as he curled around Satoshi and cried.

Gone. Everything Satoshi had given him by welcoming him, _everything_ he had come to love, _it was all gone_. His family, his friends, his rivals, even the city he had called home until Satoshi came along. All because of one human’s ambitions…

As if thinking about him was a cue, the cackling of Fleur-de-lis echoed down from the sky and into the space. “Ahahahaha _HAHAHA_ ~! Finally! Finally, _finally, **finally**_ the rot is being blasted away!!!”

Bitterness and hatred made Gekkouga sob harder. Of course. **_Of course_** that man was still alive while Gekkouga had lost everything. It wasn’t fair, wasn’t right that… _that **monster**_ was still alive, probably perched on the back of his Mega Gyarados, while Satoshi, their team, and who knew _how many_ others in Miare City alone lay dead or dying.

Gekkouga wished he could change it all, stop this madness from happening. Or at the very least, he wished he could take that ginger-haired monster down with him. Barely finishing the thought, Gekkouga found himself enveloped in a bright light, felt like he was falling for a brief moment as he reflexively shut his eyes.

_::Come, Gekkouga. There is little time.::_

Peeking his eyes open at the voice, Gekkouga was shocked to find himself floating before a massive Pokemon that he recognized from that crisis with Hoopa all those months ago. _“Arceus…you’re Arceus…”_

 _::I am, and I have called you, as well as him, here to help set things right.::_ Arceus replied, motioning behind the Shinobi Frog as he communicated via Telepathy.

Gekkouga turned to see a massive human with long white hair, dressed as a very worn traveller and his eyes hidden in the shadow of his bangs. _“Who…who is he?”_

_::The original creator and user of the weapon. A human who once reigned as king in Kalos, three thousand years ago.::_

Shock near instantly gave way to anger. This man was the reason the weapon existed, why Fleur-de-lis was even able to cause so much death. It didn’t matter to Gekkouga that the man wouldn’t understand what he was saying, he started yelling at the human as the tears built up again.

 _“Why?!_ **Why** _would you create such a thing?! Do you have_ **any idea** _what that_ **monster** _has done, what he’s_ **destroyed** _because he had access to that weapon?! What possible reason could you have to make that thing?!”_

The man tilted his head before speaking lowly, his voice scratchy like he rarely used it. “I can guess what you’re asking. You want to know why I created the Ultimate Weapon. This is my story. A terribly long time ago…there was a man and a Pokémon. He loved that Pokémon very much…”

A dark note entered the man’s tone, scratchiness becoming a growling roughness that made Gekkouga tense. "A war began. The man's beloved Pokémon took part in the war. Several years passed…” Grief, so raw it made Gekkouga flinch came next, but it was mixed with bitterness. "He was given a tiny box. The man wanted to bring the Pokémon back. No matter what it took. The man built a machine to give it life. He brought his beloved Pokémon back. The man had suffered too much. His rage had not subsided."

"He could not forgive the world that had hurt the Pokémon he loved,” The man’s tone went nearly emotionless, cold. ”He turned the machine into the ultimate weapon. The man became a bringer of destruction that ended the war." Only now did regret enter his voice, a tired sorrow that seemed to drain Gekkouga’s energy just hearing it. "The Pokémon that was given life must have known…that the lives of many Pokémon were taken to restore its life. The resurrected eternal Pokémon left the man's side. The man was surprised and sad. He had revived it so they could be together… Day after day passed, but they were never to meet. Eventually, he became a mere shell of a man. A man condemned to wander forever by the light of the weapon…"

For a long moment the man paused, before tilting his head toward the Shinobi Frog’s chest. “It did not begin as a weapon, but love can be a catalyst for both life and death. Condemn me if you wish, but do you not think you are capable of the same, given your own loss?”

Gekkouga glanced down, startled to realize he had been holding on to Satoshi’s body the whole time. As he considered the question, the Pokemon tightened his grip before replying with a shake of his head.

_“No. I know I couldn’t walk the path you did, because I know it isn’t what my team…my family would want or approve of. They would never be happy if I did what you did, and their happiness is as important to me as their lives.”_

_::And it is for that reason I chose to make this offer to you, rather than another.::_ Arceus interjected solemnly. _::The weapon’s power is destabilizing the world and my connection to it, preventing me from fixing anything at this point in Time. Thus, I have come to the decision that the only way to prevent the current catastrophe is to send someone far enough back in Time that they can prepare and strengthen themselves to stop Fleur-de-lis::_ There was a brief pause before Arceus made an admission. _::Normally, I would have selected young Satoshi for this, as he is familiar with taking on monumental tasks to save the world. However, he reacted faster than I anticipated, transferring nearly all of his Aura to you through your bond in order to save you.::_

The Water/Dark-type drew a shuddering breath at that, looking down at his trainer with fond sorrow. _“I did wonder how I survived that when…when he and the others didn’t… That’s just like him…”_

_::Will you accept this task, Gekkouga? You will be sent back as far as necessary, with all of your memories intact...even if it means having to go through your evolutions all over again. And you will be alone in your knowledge for a time, as until Satoshi assists me once more, I will be in dormancy.::_

That knowledge was daunting, but with a physical reminder of his losses in his arms, Gekkouga couldn’t refuse. Short of the former king’s path, Gekkouga would do just about anything to save his family. _“I will. How do I go back?”_

 _::Dialga, Palkia, and I will handle that. Take a moment to prepare yourself…and perhaps say your goodbyes.::_ The suggestion was made gently as the Pokemon God turned away, allowing Gekkouga a modicum of privacy. The former king also drifted away, as silent as a phantom but with the palpable weight of his own memories of grief around him.

Gekkouga was silent for a moment as he held Satoshi’s body tightly, replaying every memory he’d had with the boy and their team in his mind. _“I’ve loved being part of this family, am grateful for every moment we all shared. I don’t think I ever said that, and I regret it… In a way, I’m scared to do this, because I don’t know if we’ll have those moments again. I don’t know how much will change once I get started…what else I’ll lose… But_ _I_ have _to try if it means a chance to have you all back. In the end, that’s what I want most: our family whole and safe at the end of this crisis. I’ll give it everything I have to save us all,_ I swear it _.”_

_::We’re ready, Gekkouga.::_

Looking over to see Arceus flanked by Dialga and Palkia, Gekkouga took a deep breath as he finished softly. _“Goodbye, Satoshi. I’ll see you again soon, I promise.”_

_“I’ll take him, Gekkouga.”_

The Shinobi Frog didn’t bother to be surprised as Giratina floated close and lowered its head to take Satoshi. Gently, Gekkouga laid the boy’s body down atop Giratina’s head, taking a moment to brush back Satoshi’s fringe. He then let go, drifting backward so the colossal dragon could raise its head again. Gekkouga then turned back to Arceus and bowed his head.

_“I’m ready.”_

_::Very well. Close your eyes and brace yourself. And good luck.::_

Even with his eyes closed, Gekkouga found himself getting dizzy as power enveloped him –so different from the veil that signaled the shift into his Satoshi-Gekkouga form– and it began pulling him in multiple directions. In the next moment –or was it minutes? Hours?–, it was like he was in a whirlpool, then it felt like he was being squeezed and compressed as his strength rapidly left him. All the while there was a cacophony of sound around him, voices and fragments of conversations he remembered carrying on a wind he couldn’t feel. Finally it all came to a halt as he fell heavily to solid ground and soft grass, his breath leaving him as his eyes automatically opened.

Stretched in front of him were white, three-fingered hands attached to light blue arms, and the once familiar feeling of puffy keromousse was cushioning his chin. It was enough to tell him that he had indeed been de-evolved all the way back to his base stage. His surroundings told him he was once more at the breeding facility, and the way his fellow Keromatsu were stretching and looking around made it clear it was the day he had hatched.

He hadn’t expected to be sent _this_ far back, but he tried to look on the bright side: more time to prepare for the crisis to come. But the sight of those who would reject him made the longing for his family unbearably sharp. And then a thought occurred to him: he could leave this place and seek out his family early. Even if they couldn’t remember him, he could rebuild his relationships with them and subtly help prepare them.

The Water-type quickly thought back to some of the conversations he’d had with Pikachu, Luchabull, and Fiarrow back when he was a Yayakoma. Luchabull was actually the oldest in the group, but he wouldn’t arrive at the forest he would become guardian of until about eight months before Satoshi offered for him to join the team. And unfortunately he didn’t talk much about where he had been before. Yayakoma was younger than Keromatsu by two seasons, thus hadn’t hatched yet and wasn’t an option. And through Pikachu, Keromatsu knew his hatching day was nearly two whole years before Satoshi began his Pokemon journey and before the Electric Mouse was taken in by Okido-hakase.

That meant the one he knew he could find was Satoshi, who would be in Masara Town dreaming of becoming a Pokemon Trainer.

Eager to leave, to see his trainer alive again, Keromatsu got up and turned intending to make his way out of the facility…only to trip over himself trying instinctively to move as quickly as he mentally was used to moving. Clearly he wasn’t physically capable of achieving that speed yet. Annoyed, Keromatsu took a deep breath and hauled himself back up with a grumble while mentally rearranging his plans. First he needed to train a little so he could make the journey to Kanto and Masara Town.

_And then…then I’ll be able to start making things right. I’ll be with Satoshi right from the start and we’ll be stronger for it._

Moving through the foliage, Keromatsu sought out a training spot with determination in his heart, set on getting to his trainer as soon as possible. He could have never guessed just how much this single decision would change everything.

...TBC…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -First, there are going to be severe changes to the Pokemon Satoshi catches. I won’t go into great detail but he will be catching Pokemon he didn’t have the first time, and there will be…several Pokemon he had before that either won’t be caught or will have very different roles this time around, including Pikachu. Please note that I do love the little Electric Mouse, but the reason for the role change is to highlight that Gekkouga’s decision has consequences he didn’t expect and can’t change.
> 
> -Second, a lot of Satoshi’s interactions/relationships with his canon companions are going to change. Note that I’m not trying to go out of my way to bash any character, but I also am not going to hide the fact that I disliked a character.
> 
> -Third, I’m going to be doing my best to integrate the movies in to make a smooth timeline. In that same vein, a lot of episodes may end up skipped or just skimmed over depending on how important I feel they are. If I do skip/skim something and I get REQUESTS for more depth on a particular episode, I’ll consider making a filler chapter doing so.
> 
> Japanese to English (In order of appearance)
> 
> Gekkouga - Greninja  
> Satoshi - Ash  
> Fleur-de-lis - Lysandre  
> Alan - Alain  
> Gyarados - Gyarados  
> Kaenjishi - Pyroar  
> Miare City - Lumiose City  
> Lizardon - Charizard  
> Numelgon - Goodra  
> Fiarrow - Talonflame  
> Luchabull - Hawlucha  
> Onvern - Noivern  
> Pikachu - Pikachu  
> Arceus - Arceus  
> Dialga - Dialga  
> Palkia - Palkia  
> Giratina - Giratina  
> Keromatsu - Froakie  
> Yayakoma - Fletchling  
> Okido-hakase - Professor Oak  
> Kanto - Kanto  
> Masara Town - Pallet Town


	2. Pre-Journey Arc: Childhood Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Okay, starting from this chapter onward is where the differences from my original story will be obvious. Originally, I had changed the origins of Barrierd so he would be present from the start instead of after Satoshi gets his eighth Kanto badge. My reasoning for this was that I couldn't understand why Hanako didn't have a Pokemon before Barrierd was introduced, plus his Psychic-typing and abilities made him key for what I'm doing with Satoshi's childhood. I have come to decide that change wasn't actually necessary, so Barrierd's origins are going back to normal. Instead, I've decided that Okido-hakase had given Hanako a Foodin to assist her. More on that origin in later chapters.
> 
> -All other musings/explanations concerning some points made during the chapter will be in the end notes.
> 
> -Italicized is thoughts
> 
> - _"Italicized"_ is Pokemon Speech
> 
> - _::Italicized::_ is Pokemon Telepathy

Two weeks. It had taken Keromatsu two weeks to train himself up in various skills before he was confident he could make the journey to Kanto. Evasion, accuracy, jumping, and his attack strength were…adequate –though he already sorely missed the level he had achieved before–, and he had relearned _Growl_ , _Pound_ , and _Bubble_. His evasion and jumping skills especially were coming along, as already his fellow Keromatsu were realizing he was different and were beginning to become aggressive towards him. Having known true friendship, he was bitterly amused at how shallow they were, and it made him all the more eager to leave.

He continued to train himself as he began observing ways to escape the facility without anyone immediately noting his absence. It turned out that it was laughably simple considering the intern in charge of counting everyone every morning always mis-counted, and the guards at night never bothered to check the ceilings –and Keromatsu doubted they would check the roof either. The small, high windows were unlock-able, which was little odd but made things easier, and the highest set of cameras had a forty-five second rotating time, more than enough time to slip out and leap to the nearest tree before a good shot of him would be taken.

Again, laughably simple, but the real problems would begin after escaping. He had two options: make his way to the other side of Miare City to sneak on a plane, or find a way to Hiyoku City and stowaway on a ship.

The ship route would be safer, considering no one would expect a lone, supposedly untrained Keromatsu to get all the way to another city to hide on a succession of ships until he docked in Kanto. But that would also take a while, and Keromatsu was impatient enough to forgo safety if it meant getting to Satoshi sooner. The main problem with using the airport is he would have to hide in plain sight inside, because he would have no way to tell which plane was going where if he stayed outside to sneak into a cargo hold. He would have to locate the correct flight, sneak through security, and then sneak into the passenger cabin of a plane without being scrutinized too closely or stopped and caught. On top of that, he would have to find a hiding spot in the plane itself for the whole sixteen-hour flight.

It was by no means an ideal, or easy plan, but Keromatsu couldn’t, _wouldn’t_ wait any longer than necessary. And so, eighteen days since he was sent back in time, Keromatsu hid away and waited until after midnight before beginning his journey back to Satoshi’s side. He used keromousse on his hands to climb the far back wall, waiting just long enough for the cameras to get midway through their rotation before unlatching the window, slipping out and kicking it closed before he leapt out and down into the nearest tree. Getting to the airport was time consuming as he was navigating rooftops, but he just barely managed to make it as the airport opened for a new day at five in the morning.

Being one of the busiest airports in the world, Miare Internationale was already bustling, with overnight flights arriving and early morning flights prepping for departure. On one hand, the large amount of people present gave Keromatsu ample people to hide behind from the security personnel and cameras. On the other hand, that meant far more regular people and trainers able to take notice of him.

Taking a deep breath of frustration, the Water-type picked a random person that was heading toward the Departure screens and followed them as casually as possible to avoid close attention. There, he quickly scanned for the soonest flight to Kanto, inwardly worrying when he realized it was set to depart in an hour. He would have to be fast sneaking through the security check point, which is the one place he needed to be the most careful getting through.

Luck was with him as he spotted a small family walking with a luggage cart, the cart having just enough room underneath for him to hang on without dragging on the floor. Taking a furtive look around to make sure no one was paying him close attention, Keromatsu sprinted and slid beneath the cart, flipping over to latch on to the underside before it finished passing over him. Getting close to the security check point took a good twenty minutes, but once close enough, Keromatsu slipped from under the cart to underneath the item belt scanner. Quickly making his way to the far side of the check point, the Water-type dove behind various people toward the next nearest hiding point: a newspaper cubby.

From there, he waited five minutes just to make sure it was safe to move again before picking another random person to follow and making his way toward the correct gate. He ended up having to change tails twice before arriving at the right gate, and then he encountered his next problem: five minutes to make it on the plane before the doors were shut. It was more risky, but he decided to latch himself on to the underside of a passenger’s wheeled carry-on bag, and huddled down as low as possible in hopes he wouldn’t be spotted. Oddly enough, it worked, which made him wonder if he was being paranoid about how difficult this task actually was.

On the plane, Keromatsu was quick to dive under the seats up against the divider between 1st and Economy class, tucking himself under the seat window side and in the corner. After a good ten minutes where no one took seats in the row he chose, an announcement came over the intercom for everyone to buckle up and pay attention to the safety procedure demonstration before take off, allowing the Bubble Frog to breathe a sigh of relief. He had made it, and once the plane was in the air, he would consider the first leg of his journey complete.

As the plane was taxi-ed to the runway, Keromatsu made himself as comfortable as possible and used keromousse to anchor himself down for take off. After grimacing at the uncomfortable popping sensation in his hearing glands, Keromatsu decided that it would be best to sleep through the flight to prepare for the next part of his journey: getting to Masara Town. Thankfully, he knew from prior conversations with Pikachu and stories from Satoshi that Tokiwa City was the nearest major city to Masara Town, so at least he wouldn’t need to traverse the whole region to get to his destination.

His dreams, as they had ever since Time had been reversed, played back his memories both good and bad. Had anyone been watching, they would have seen tears slipping down to catch in his soft white keromousse, tears of sorrow, joy, and longing.

~Dream~

“You know, I’m glad you met me now instead of when I started my journey.”

Gekkouga looked over to his trainer in curiosity from where he was stretching. The pair were preparing for an early evening run while dinner was being made and the rest of the group’s Pokemon were playing. Satoshi had an oddly wistful, almost vulnerable look on his face, and Gekkouga couldn’t help but feel concerned. With a soft croak of inquiry, he moved closer, getting a warm smile for the action.

“Sorry, just thinking back over my journey so far…remembering how I started out. I feel like you probably wouldn’t have picked me when I was a brand new trainer.”

Gekkouga tilted his head, wondering why Satoshi felt that way, and his trainer clearly understood his curiosity because he continued, his smile turning wry. “I…I wasn’t expected to be much of anybody. In fact, the only person _anyone_ thought would excel was my friend, then rival, Shigeru because he’s Okido-hakase’s grandson. It hurt…a lot, that no one seemed to really believe in me, except my mother…so I decided acting like Shigeru was the only way to have anyone take me seriously.”

A self-depreciating laugh came from the boy and it made Gekkouga upset for his trainer. “I was so insecure that I covered up my nerves and weaknesses with arrogance… I lost count how many times that backfired. Everything from making friends to participating in gym challenges went so wrong…and especially when I went to the Sekiei Conference. Some days I’m shocked any of my Pokemon or even Takeshi, Kasumi, and Kenji continued to travel with me.” He paused a second before a sigh escaped him. “I don’t think I could really be considered a trainer until I went to Johto or even Hoenn…and that makes me glad we met once I could take myself seriously, because I can’t imagine not having you here but I…I’m pretty sure you would have hated me back then.”

Even considering his trainer’s words seriously, it upset Gekkouga to know he felt so lowly of himself. Didn’t Satoshi remember what Gojika-san had said about trainers just starting out? And just because he did what a lot of young trainers and Pokemon tended to do, it certainly didn’t mean Gekkouga would have _hated_ him. Shaking his head, the Shinobi Frog set a hand on Satoshi’s shoulder and held his gaze as he spoke, hoping to clearly convey his thoughts even if the boy couldn’t understand his words.

 _“I wouldn’t have hated you, just as I don’t hate any of the other trainers that tried to choose me. I was disappointed with many of them, but I never_ _hated them. Besides, it wasn’t just your abilities as a trainer that drew me to you. It was what I sensed from you the first time I spotted you in Miare City, a power and a familiarity that I have no doubt you held even as a child. But more than that, I_ know _we were meant to meet, to be friends and partners, and it wouldn’t have mattered if we met then, now, or in the future.”_

The bright smile that came to Satoshi’s face, as well as the slight welling of tears that was quickly brushed away, told Gekkouga that Satoshi did clearly understand the intent if not the words spoken. He placed a hand over the one Gekkouga had on his shoulder and whispered a heartfelt, “Thank you,” and it was enough for Gekkouga.

Though he did want to make sure Satoshi was sufficiently cheered up…and he let a mischievous glint come to his eyes as the only warning before he deftly snitched the boy’s hat and took off on their run. Satoshi instantly gave chase with a laughing call of his name, the joy attracting the attention of the rest of their team, who came after them just to share in that happiness.

~End Dream~

Slowly waking up with the memory of laughter in his mind, Keromatsu resettled his position as he reviewed the dream while it was still fresh. It wasn’t really a surprise that particular memory came to him given where he was going, but it did give him something to consider. This Satoshi would be inexperienced as a trainer, insecure but earnest with a powerful love for Pokemon. Keromatsu would need to work with the boy to not only build his confidence but to stop the arrogance Satoshi mentioned before it could build. The Water-type suspected just establishing a friendship with him would do wonders, but it wouldn’t hurt to actually show Satoshi that he didn’t need to put on an act to be a great trainer and gain approval.

 _That may even help when we get Pikachu back. Satoshi mentioned once that Pikachu didn’t like him at first_ , the Bubble Frog thought with a smile.

“Attention, we will be landing in Tokiwa City, Kanto, in one hour and we will begin descending from cruising altitude in fifteen minutes. Please––”

Keromatsu tuned out the rest of the announcement, surprised that he actually had managed to sleep through nearly the whole flight, and happy that it was almost over. He began planning the next step of his journey: getting to Masara Town without being seen by trainers looking to expand their teams. By the time the plane landed, Keromatsu had a plan and a back-up plan if needed.

Plan One: get directions from the local Pokemon Center and travel mostly at night. Back-Up Plan: go to Tokiwa Forest and convince a Pigeon or a Pidgeot to fly him to Masara Town in exchange for a few gathered meals or battles. Both were workable, though the back up had some issues, but workable was his main concern.

And if need be he could think and act on the fly, something he had learned well thanks to Satoshi.

Slipping off the plane and out of Tokiwa Airport was much simpler than sneaking through Miare Internationale, and within fifteen minutes of disembarking Keromatsu was on his way to the local Pokemon Center. There, he waited until the assistant Lucky was free and mostly alone to approach and ask for assistance.

_“Excuse me, is there a map I could look at? I’m trying to get to Masara Town.”_

The large pink Pokemon tilted a little with curiosity but replied happily. _“Well, there is, but it’s pretty simple to get to Masara Town. If you leave Tokiwa City by Route 1 it’s nearly a straight shot to Masara Town. Are you with a trainer?”_

Keromatsu hesitated at the question. _“I…was taken from my family actually, and I’m just trying to get home.”_ It wasn’t wholly a lie; he certainly saw what Fleur-de-lis had done as separating him and his family, it just wasn’t really the scope of the truth either.

A distressed sound left the medic Pokemon. _“Oh, I’m so sorry! That must have been terrible! Are you sure you’ll be all right making it back on your own?”_

 _“Yes, now that I know where to go… If you could though, leave a word with the local police to look out for anyone claiming to be from either Team Rocket or Team Flare,”_ Keromatsu suggested, a few paranoia-induced possibilities running through his mind. _“They’re thieves, and will take_ any _Pokemon that interests them even if they already have trainers or hurt people in the process.”_

 _“Of course. Please, wait here for just a moment,”_ Lucky insisted before quickly retreating to the back for a few minutes. When she returned, she was carrying a small strap pouch –that reminded the Bubble Frog of the one Citron had given Harimaron once– and a small water skein with a length of cord.

_“There are some tablets made from Oran and Lum Berries if you need a quick cure in here. As you probably know Kanto has a low natural berry yield so I can’t give you fresh ones unfortunately. Route 1 does have a river that runs alongside it for part of the way and a few lakes, but the river curves off into the depths of Tokiwa Forest and the lakes interconnect to the Gyarados breeding lake, so you may not want to seek them out often. I hope these can help you on your journey.”_

The Water-type smiled as he tied the skein to his back and hung the pouch around his neck. _“Thank you, I greatly appreciate this.”_

 _“Get home safely, and that’ll be all the thanks I need,”_ Lucky replied with a smile of her own. _“You’ll find the entrance to Route 1 past the Police Booth just down the street. Keep an easy pace. Even if you stay on the road it’s at least a two day walk to Masara Town.”_

With another word of thanks, Keromatsu left the Pokemon Center and immediately set out for Route 1 since he was mostly fresh thanks to his sleep on the plane. He kept to the side of the road in case any vehicles came by and so he could more quickly dive into hiding places if he spotted any trainers, keeping an even pace as advised. He stopped twice to refill his water skein and once at an apple tree, storing an apple for later in his keromousse, before dawn came. In the dawn’s light, Keromatsu stopped and trained for a brief time before settling under a thick bush to sleep, content with his progress thus far.

He was awakened earlier than expected as a trainer, obviously very new, came tearing through the area being chased by a Fushigidane, who was just as obviously very annoyed with the child. Keromatsu considered interfering, but hearing what the Fushigidane was yelling at the boy made him refrain.

 _“_ **Why** _would you think going into a Spear nest with just me is a good idea?! I don’t care_ how many _Pokemon you want to add to the team,_ **nothing** _justifies walking into a Spear nest without more than one Pokemon for back up!”_

 _…Clearly, that child is going to be a handful. I feel a little sorry for Fushigidane_ , Keromatsu thought with a lopsided smirk.

Awake for now, Keromatsu decided to make some distance between himself and the traveling pair, finding another bush an hour down the road to train beside before resting again. When he awoke once more at sunset, he trained for a few hours before setting out, reasoning that if there were new trainers setting out that day then he wanted them well on their way to settling in for the night to avoid the risk of capture. Travel that night was uneventful, with no signs of other trainers on the road, so when dawn came this time he decided to keep going for a little longer.

This decision led him to meeting a small, female Koratta that was surprisingly friendly for her species.

He had been settling inside another bush to sleep when she scurried up and greeted him. _“Hello there! Are you new around here?”_

 _“…In a way…I’m making my way to Masara Town,”_ Keromatsu replied, eyeing her warily until he was certain nothing about her body language conveyed a threat. _“I’ve actually been traveling for several hours and was just getting ready to sleep.”_

 _“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you. I was just curious since I’ve never seen a Pokemon like you before,”_ the Koratta said with a soft flush. _“Do you mind if I stay nearby? I’d really like to ask you some things…”_

Keromatsu considered the request; she seemed genuine enough, but there was always the possibility she could be luring him into a false sense of security for her next meal. _“…You may, under the condition that if you attack me I will not hesitate to defend myself by all means necessary.”_

She nodded with an excited smile before motioning to a small patch of trees. _“I’ll be over there if you wake up and don’t immediately see me. Have a good rest!”_

He watched her practically skip away, something a little odd considering she was on all fours, before settling down again. _What a strange Pokemon…_

Surprisingly, he was able to sleep undisturbed until early evening, waking up an hour or so before sunset when the Koratta came close and started whispering in alarm. “ _Hey, we need to get moving! The Onisuzume flock is heading this way!”_

 _“Onisuzume…? Why would we need to move because of them?”_ Keromatsu may only have three moves, but with his training he was confident he could evade and even battle an average Onisuzume with little issue.

 _“They’ve been_ really _aggressive lately since a young Onisuzume actually managed to beat the old Onidrill that used to lead the flock. They’ve even started bullying the other Flying-types into serving them,”_ Koratta explained, looking at the sky in concern. _“A lot of us are afraid they’ll expand their territory all the way to Masara Town, though the Pidgeot flock is still holding strong for now. But their flight is huge, at least fifty members, and they make random sweeps of the area at sunset.”_

Though Keromatsu was still confident he could hold his own in a pinch, he agreed there was little point in facing them if he didn’t have to. _“All right. You have a place to go in mind?”_

 _“We’re only about two miles outside of the Pidgeot flock’s territory. If we go now, we can make it just before the Onisuzume catch up. From there, we can curve south into the reservation around Masara Town,”_ the Koratta explained. _“The reservation is protected by the human called Okido, and we’ll be completely safe there.”_

Keromatsu was startled. He hadn’t thought he was so close to Masara Town as of yet, but this was a happy revelation. _“Then let’s go. Could you lead the way?”_

_“Leave it to me!”_

The pair took off at a speedy pace, though not out right sprinting, with Keromatsu closely following the purple rat. There were a few moments when he nearly overtook her, something that seemed to amaze her, but he refrained if only because she knew the area and he didn’t. They did have to rest for a few minutes after maintaining their pace for nearly an hour, but after that they did indeed make it into Pidgeot territory just as a couple speedy Onisuzume swooped down on them. Keromatsu, in a fluid motion, scooped Koratta under one of his arms and leapt out of the way of the first assault, setting her down before flipping into the air and slamming a _Pound_ attack on the head of the second Onisuzume mid-swoop.

That Onisuzume found itself buried beak first in the dirt, which angered the first into swinging around for a _Wing Attack_. Keromatsu stopped its momentum and repelled it back with a few well-aimed fistfuls of keromousse, knocking it right into the path of a Pidgeot using _Quick Attack_. The Pidgeot sent that Onisuzume hurtling out of the territory, while a pair of Poppo latched on to the wings of the second one to drag it out of the dirt and throw it out. The Water-type kept a wary gaze on the retreating Onisuzume, even as he addressed the Pidgeot who had landed and was assessing him.

_“Thank you for your help, and I apologize for the intrusion. I’m trying to get to Masara Town, searching for someone.”_

The Pidgeot dipped his head in acknowledgement of the statement. _“I see. You are quite welcome. Your reflexes certainly give praise to your abilities considering how young you appear. I feel you may not have needed the assistance against merely those two. Are you partnered to a trainer?”_

 _“…Not yet…but there is someone, a boy in Masara Town I’m hoping to partner to.”_ Keromatsu felt the honesty was necessary, seeing and sensing the age and wisdom of the bird before him; there was a serenity to the bird that reminded him of both Fukuji-san and his Gogoat, and that remembrance demanded a certain level of respect worthy of the honesty.

_“Oh? Do you perhaps mean the Aura child?”_

The question was not one Keromatsu had expected, and he turned to look fully at bird. _He_ knew, of course, that Satoshi had the ability though not the training to use Aura, but as far as he was aware no one outside of those that personally knew Satoshi were aware of it. _“…Maybe. The boy I’m looking for is called Satoshi.”_

 _“Satoshi-chan?”_ The Koratta inquired in surprised. _“Wow, I guess word about his Aura potential really did spread fast…”_

 _“He is who we know as the Aura child,”_ Pidgeot confirmed, something both fond and sad about his tone. _“To be truthful we have been hoping that a human, an Aura Guardian would hear word about his potential and come teach him, though it has been in vain thus far. He is very alone amongst his fellow humans in this small town, isolated even, as they perceive he is different and do not understand that he has a gift to be nurtured. It is stunting his growth in many ways.”_ The large Pokemon shook his head with a sigh. _“But pardon my wandering thoughts. May I ask why you are looking for him? What nest do you come from?”_

 _“I come from the Kalos region, very far from here,”_ Keromatsu answered first before hesitating as he tried to phrase his situation in a way that would be accepted. Time traveling was a no go, so how…? Then he thought about the way Gojika-san and her Nyaonix pair had used their psychic abilities to not only look into his past but predict some of the future and decided to go with that. _“There is a powerful human psychic there partnered with a pair of Psychic-type Pokemon, and she told me of a vision they had… Of a remarkable boy named Satoshi from Masara Town who had an enormous destiny in front of him. She told me that she saw me at his side and that we would help each other reach our potential. I made the decision to seek him out myself when she couldn’t determine when he would make his way to Kalos.”_

The Pidgeot bowed his head. _“Psychic visions are not to be taken lightly. If you felt the urgency to seek him out yourself, then his destiny must be both great and dangerous.”_ Giving a ruffle of his feathers, the Pidgeot turned away and offered, _“I can fly you to the town’s main entrance or the edge of the reservation near the human lab if you wish. The sooner the Aura child is trained, the better for us all, I believe.”_

Keromatsu breathed a sigh of relief before nodding. _“The reservation’s edge. I want to observe his situation for a few days without being spotted by the humans before I approach him.”_

 _“Can I come? I’d like to see Satoshi-chan again,”_ the Koratta asked hopefully, smiling when Keromatsu nodded.

_“You may. Would you be willing to share what you know of him while we fly?”_

_“Sure!”_

It was only a moment for the pair to settle on Pidgeot’s back beneath his long crest, and once they were airborne Koratta began her story.

 _“I met Satoshi-chan around six seasons ago. He was wandering around lost in the reservation’s forest and when it started raining he took shelter in a large hollow at the base of a tree. Well, that particular hollow is a well known shelter spot, and I went for it along with a few other Pokemon when the rain started.”_ Koratta giggled at this point. _“We were all a little shocked and confused as to why a human child was in the spot, but he was so sweet and offered for all of us to stay in the shelter with him.”_

Keromatsu nearly jumped as he realized he knew her story; it was the one Satoshi had told him in that snowy cave when they made the promise to start over in their attempts to master and progress their bond.

 _“We were in that hollow for a long time, but we had fun rolling around and cuddling for a couple naps. That’s also when we realized he had Aura abilities, because he kept talking to us and started to understand what we were saying back. His eyes even started glowing blue like in the stories! It was_ amazing _,”_ the Koratta gushed with a star-struck look. _“When the rain stopped we helped him back to town, and for a couple seasons he would come to play with us every few days, even once he had to go back to school…”_

There was a long pause before Koratta sighed sadly. _“But about four seasons ago… The Butterfree that met him the same day I did followed him to school one day and was playing with him during their outdoors time. A couple of the other kids saw Satoshi-chan glowing while they talked. They started bullying him worse than a pack of_ **Ratta** _,”_ Keromatsu wondered at the vehemence she used to speak of her evolved form but did not question her; he wanted to know the rest of the story. _“Within a few days the bullying was so bad that they would hurt other kids that tried to talk to him, even throwing sharp rocks at one little girl and nearly taking one of her eyes. Satoshi-chan was so upset that he begged his mother not to send him back so she keeps him at home now… It made him scared of his Aura, so he’s been avoiding being around Pokemon so he doesn’t accidentally use it, but that also means he’s barely left his home since. I’ve talked to the Foodin living with them, and she said that Satoshi-chan’s mother is considering having her remove Satoshi-chan’s memories of what happened so that he won’t be so sad anymore.”_

To say Keromatsu was shocked was an understatement. When Satoshi had told him about meeting Pokemon in the rain he had made no mention of discovering his Aura abilities or the hardship that followed, just shared how happy he had been and how that day had started his dream of being a Pokemon Trainer. Thinking of it, the only bad thing Satoshi had ever mentioned from his childhood was how Shigeru had become his rival, but from Koratta’s story there had been quite a bit of trauma that Satoshi never mentioned…

 _Unless he no longer remembered it_ , he realized as the last thing Koratta said really sank in.

No one but Psychic-types really knew what could and couldn’t be done with psychic powers, but if Keromatsu understood what was being said in relation to what he knew, the Bubble Frog would guess this Foodin had taken only Satoshi’s memories surrounding his Aura abilities and the bullying. And she probably left the positive memory of initially meeting the Pokemon in the rain and likely some other scattered memories so the boy wouldn’t have too big of a blank spot in his mind. But who knew what else the memory loss had affected in his trainer, and Keromatsu was determined not to let that happen a second time now that he knew about it. Unfortunately, that meant he had an unknown time limit to not only befriend Satoshi, but to help him begin healing from the trauma and get him training for his abilities before his mother decided to take that drastic step.

_“I’m assuming his mother doesn’t know about his abilities?”_

Koratta hesitated a moment before shrugging. _“I’m not sure to be honest. It’s a little strange to think she wouldn’t since she’s his mother, but then maybe she would have asked for help to train him if she did.”_

It wasn’t really an answer, but Keromatsu decided it would be safe to assume the woman had no idea about her son’s abilities. From Satoshi’s stories, she had always been very supportive of him, offering any encouragement or advice she could…so perhaps showing her the boy had special abilities that needed training would help clear things up. He put that idea away for later consideration; first he needed to earn Satoshi’s trust.

_“Have any other Pokemon tried to approach him?”_

Koratta nodded. _“Yes, all of us that met him that day in the rain have stopped by, and I know Butterfree tries to see him nearly every day. But he gets this sad look on his face before running back inside or covering the window.”_ Her whiskers drooped sadly. _“I haven’t gone back for several days now, but I ran into Foodin near the lab two days ago, which is why I know what Satoshi-chan’s mother is thinking of.”_

 _“I see…”_ Keromatsu thought about the problem hard, trying to come up with a workable plan. With this new information, he couldn’t simply walk up to Satoshi while he was outside and start a friendship from there. He had to be very careful how he handled this or he risked Satoshi avoiding him until it was too late to stop the memory removal. Then something about what Koratta said caught his thoughts. _“Wait, have any new Pokemon approached him? Not just those he’s seen or interacted with before?”_

_“Um…not that I know of…? He’s been in his home for a long time now so I’m not really sure if he’s seen anyone new…”_

An idea was nipping at Keromatsu but he had to be sure… _“Pidgeot, could I ask for some assistance? I have an idea that just might work, but I need to test something.”_

_“Oh?”_

_“All children are naturally curious, human and Pokemon alike, and they are fascinated by what they haven’t seen in person before. When we get to Masara Town, I want to see if we can spot Satoshi at a window and if so, I ask you to land in his view for a just a few moments. His reaction will tell me if my idea will work or not.”_

_“I can do that. I hope for the child’s sake that your idea works.”_

_“As do I.” More than you know…_

It was a few more minutes before Pidgeot announced they were over Masara Town and began a slow circle down towards Satoshi’s home at Koratta’s direction. It was on one of these circles that they saw Satoshi was sitting in one of the second floor windows with Foodin tending the yard below him.

Keromatsu found his breath leaving him and tears building up as he saw Satoshi for the first time in weeks, alive if younger than he was used to, and it was all he could do to restrain himself from jumping down and tackling the boy to the ground. He was surprisingly small, not that Satoshi was particularly tall in general but this was smaller than the Water-type had expected. But the messy black hair was the same and the slightly gangly limbs gave hint to the lean build he would one day have. But the skin was paler than he was used to and the deeply sad and tired expression was like a punch in the gut that made Keromatsu want to go find the bullies that caused it and _hurt_ them.

After managing slightly strangled breaths until he could regulate his breathing, Keromatsu gave some instructions. _“Koratta, you and I will jump down to the roof once Pidgeot is low enough before jumping into the tree just to the side of the window. Pidgeot, could you land and talk with Foodin? Let her know I will be in the area?”_

_“Certainly.”_

_“Okay!”_

A few more circles, and Keromatsu and Koratta jumped as Pidgeot called down _“Foodin? May I speak with you for a moment?”_

The two smaller Pokemon managed to jump into the tree and settle just in time to see Satoshi’s reaction to Pidgeot landing in front of Foodin. Much to Keromatsu’s relief, though Satoshi had made a motion to close the window, he stopped and stared at the huge Flying-type in awe and a hint of child-like delight that confirmed what Keromatsu needed to know, shaking away his memories of seeing those emotions but stronger on an older version of that face. Even better, Pidgeot did glance directly at Satoshi a couple times and rather than run, Satoshi stayed and even smiled a little.

 _“He’s smiling! It’s been so long since I’ve seen that!”_ Koratta cheered quietly beside Keromatsu, relief clear in her tone.

 _“Good, that means he’s still able to heal and I can help him,”_ Keromatsu murmured softly, his eyes never leaving his trainer. Satoshi was upset and scared, there was no denying that, but he still held that love of Pokemon that would make him into an amazing trainer, and Keromatsu knew how to help him. _“Koratta, I know it’ll be hard, but I want you to go down and tell Pidgeot that I will stay and observe Satoshi for a little longer before I approach him. Make sure you don’t look at Satoshi, he might run if you do. Then go with Pidgeot and come back in a couple days. I should’ve made progress with him by then.”_

 _“O…Okay. Be careful and take care of him for me,”_ Koratta agreed, a little sad that she couldn’t stay.

_“I will, I promise.”_

The purple Pokemon took a deep breath before scurrying down the tree, and Keromatsu observed her straining not to look at Satoshi as she did what the Bubble Frog asked. Satoshi did waver back at the sight of her, but in the end stayed, and Keromatsu was even gratified to see curiosity on his face as the boy observed the trio of Pokemon. Keromatsu was briefly distracted when Pidgeot called a goodbye him, but once the bird and rat were taking flight again, Keromatsu returned his full attention to Satoshi, who had resettled into a more comfortable position in the window to watch them fly away. After a moment, the boy hesitantly called down to the Psychic-type in the yard, bringing an expression of such relief to the Pokemon’s face that Keromatsu suspected Satoshi hadn’t spoken even to her in a while.

_“…Foo? That was a Pidgeot, wasn’t it?”_

When Foodin gave a positive answer Satoshi gave another little smile before his mother called for dinner, and the boy finally closed his window. At that moment, Foodin approached the tree Keromatsu was in, looking up at him before addressing him telepathically.

_::You’re the one Pidgeot was talking about, right?::_

_“I am.”_

_::He said you knew how to help Satoshi-chan…and what was wrong with him…::_

Keromatsu replied a little harsher than intended, but it got his point across. _“There’s nothing wrong with Satoshi, just those bullies that drove him away from school because they don’t understand his gift. Satoshi is able to use Aura, but they made him scared of using it.”_

The surprise coming off the Psychic-type was palpable. _::Aura?! So_ that’s _what he was so secretive about! Before he became upset he was so giddy and excited but said he wanted to wait to tell Hanako-dono and I what he was so happy about.::_

_“It is, and I’m going to help him understand he doesn’t need to be afraid. I can even help him start training the ability as I’ve met a Pokemon able to use Aura.”_

_::Is there anything I can do to help?::_

Keromatsu thought for a moment before saying hesitantly. _“If there’s anything you can do to keep his mother from noticing me for a day or two I’d appreciate it. Part of what’s causing his…depression, is that he’s afraid of how other humans will react to his abilities thanks to those bullies. I need to get him to stop being afraid of using Aura with Pokemon before we jump the hurdle of showing his mother.”_

Foodin was also a little hesitant but did nod her agreement. _::I see your point, though I dislike the idea of hiding anything from Hanako-dono. But, how will you approach Satoshi-chan?::_

That got a smile out of Keromatsu as he explained, _“One of the reasons I asked Pidgeot to speak to you was to see Satoshi’s reaction to a Pokemon he hadn’t interacted with before. If he had run, it would have meant he was far worse off than could be normally helped. But he stayed, was awed and curious just as if he hadn’t been depressed. I have a much better chance of helping him than say Koratta because I’m ‘new’ and his curiosity will keep him from running.”_

Understanding and relief brought a matching smile to Foodin. _::I see. When can you start?::_

_“I’ll start tonight. I know how to get his attention without startling him too badly.”_

Foodin gave a nod of understanding. _::All right. I will bring some fruit and water out for you while Hanako-dono and Satoshi-chan have dinner at night as thanks for your assistance.::_

_“Thank you, I appreciate that.”_

And with that, Foodin went inside, coming back out briefly with the promised fruit and water before bidding the Bubble Frog goodnight. Keromatsu finished his meal quietly, slipping out of the tree only to leave the bowl and cup to the side of the front door before resettling on his claimed branch. It was about two hours later that Satoshi returned to his room, his mother telling him not to stay up too late before giving him a goodnight kiss and leaving. Keromatsu waited until Satoshi was turned away from the window before carefully making his way along the branch to settle on a patch of leaves near and in full view of the window.

Turning so he was looking towards the moon, with the window in his peripherals, Keromatsu took a deep breath and began to do something unusual for him: he started lowly singing.

He sang that silly but heartfelt song Eureka made up to express her love for Puni-chan the red Zygarde Core, one, because it was one of the few songs he knew and two, because of how genuine the feelings expressed in the song were. As he suspected, it took only a few moments for Satoshi to hear him and turn toward the window, edging forward to open it and get a better look at who was singing. What Keromatsu hadn’t expected was the mix of confusion and familiarity that crossed Satoshi’s face as he took a good look at him, and it almost made Keromatsu falter.

But he kept going, pretending he hadn’t noticed the child, and while the expression changed to bewilderment before finally settling on pure curiosity, the important thing was that Satoshi didn’t close the window or run. He settled down beside the window and just listened to Keromatsu singing, and as Keromatsu came to the last couple lines of the song, Satoshi’s eyes began to glow with Aura and the Bubble Frog knew he understood the words being sung.

_“–We’ll always be together…and I’ll protect you…”_

After a moment of silence, Keromatsu finally glanced over to Satoshi and said quietly, _“Hello. I’m sorry if I disturbed you.”_

Satoshi hesitated, wavering backward for a moment, but his curiosity won over and he timidly replied, “I-It’s okay, I was just curious about the singing.”

_“Nothing wrong with being curious. Though I’m a little surprised at how well you can use Aura. I’ve heard it can take years for an Aura Guardian to be able to speak with Pokemon.”_

The way Satoshi’s eyes went wide in surprise was less startling than his words. “A-Aura Guardian? _Me?_ I…I just thought I could talk to Pokemon…”

Keromatsu wondered why Koratta and the other Pokemon apparently never mentioned to Satoshi that his abilities were Aura-related. It clearly would have saved some heart-ache. _“There_ are _some humans who can only speak with Pokemon, but it doesn’t cause their eyes to glow as yours do. Besides, Pokemon with even the slightest sensitivity could sense it from you. It’s certainly not a bad thing; Aura Guardians are rare, respected, and coveted by Pokemon, you know.”_

“…Is…is my Aura…why I feel like I know you?”

That had not been a question he expected, and it made Keromatsu’s heart leap. He couldn’t give the truth, not when the boy was going to be overwhelmed enough with healing from his trauma and learning to control his Aura… But he could give something similar to it. _“…I don’t know if it’s your Aura specifically… But they say souls can recognize each other no matter how much time and distance separate them, how many lives they go through before they meet again. If what you feel is similar to what I sense, then maybe we knew each other in another life…”_

Satoshi’s hands tightened on the windowsill, a myriad of emotions crossing over his face. “I…feel this weird…I dunno, relief? And happiness…and sadness…Like, I’m happy that you’re okay? But…I’m also sad…like maybe you weren’t going to be…?”

Keromatsu had to swallow to try and get the lump out of his throat. Satoshi may be confused, but the Bubble Frog had a strong feeling he knew exactly what was going on. Aura was entwined with Life and with the Soul, but was also something separate, and there was nothing that said it was bound by Time or Space. Arceus had said that Satoshi transferred nearly all of his Aura to Gekkouga through their bond, and while Keromatsu couldn’t be sure he still contained that Aura, he was certain the impression of it was a permanent part of his soul now. Satoshi’s Aura likely recognized that impression and the attached emotions his future self had been feeling during the transfer.

At least, that was Keromatsu’s theory, and he would just have to roll with it for now until they could learn more about Aura in general.

_“…Whatever separated us in that last life must have been…unpleasant then…But for what it’s worth, I am well and I’m glad to know you were worried for me.”_

That got a trembling smile from Satoshi and Keromatsu stomped down on the urge to leap forward and hug him. _Baby steps, Keromatsu… **Baby steps** …_ _“Now, about your Aura, I’m guessing no one has tried to teach you about it, since you seem to be uneasy with using it.”_

The boy’s smile dropped into a sad expression that made Keromatsu afraid he had made a misstep but thankfully the boy didn’t leave. “…The kids at school said I was a…a demon…”

That made Keromatsu mentally snarl. Where did those brats get off on telling anyone they were a demon? Demons were spirits even the foulest Pokemon would either attack on sight or avoid, and considering Satoshi was –according to Koratta– talking to a Butterfree when the brats discovered his abilities, that should have been the first hint that there was nothing demonic involved. Taking a calming breath, Keromatsu stated firmly. _“I can assure you there’s_ **nothing** _demonic coming from you. No Pokemon would come near you peacefully if there were.”_

The relief that came to the boy’s face was painful to see, and Keromatsu made a mental note _not_ to run off and beat up the brats who made Satoshi believe such a lie. _“It’s clear those children had no idea what was really happening. Pay them no mind, that’s not how anyone with knowledge about Aura Guardians will react to you. You_ do _need to consider telling your mother or the local professor about your abilities, however, as you’ll need to train them. Just like I as a Pokemon need to train to use my moves.”_

There was some trepidation that cropped up but it was quickly overrun by interest. “Like a Pokemon? So, I could train just like my Pokemon when I’m old enough?”

 _“Of course, though a good trainer trains alongside their Pokemon even if they don’t have special abilities. You have a few more options available thanks to being able to use Aura.”_ Keromatsu explained with a smile. _“In fact, I can give you some instruction of how to start controlling your Aura a bit better, since I’ve encountered a Pokemon who could use Aura before.”_

“Really?!”

_“Yes, but it’ll need to wait until morning. I’m sure your mother wouldn’t appreciate you staying up the whole night.”_

Satoshi blushed with embarrassment as he glanced back toward his closed door guiltily. “Yeah, you’re right…” He then looked back at Keromatsu with a painful hope in his eyes. “…You’ll be here in the morning?”

Keromatsu nodded. _“I will. I have no plans to leave Masara Town right now, so I will be near if you need me. For now at least, I’ll be here in this tree, as Foodin has permitted.”_

“…Okay…Goodnight…”

_“Goodnight, Satoshi.”_

The boy made to close the window before pausing and looking at the Bubble Frog in curiosity. “How did you know my name?”

_“Foodin called you Satoshi-chan.”_

That got another blush out of the boy, making Keromatsu chuckle at him. “Then…what should I call you?”

_“My species is called Keromatsu.”_

“Okay, then, goodnight _Kero-chan_ ~!”

Keromatsu pouted at that, but he was happy to see Satoshi smile so brightly, so much like his future self. The boy closed the window after that, heading to bed while Keromatsu crawled back toward the tree trunk to settle in for the night.

_That went differently than I expected but all the better. Now I just have to make sure to get him past the ‘was it a dream’ stage and get him started on control…then we’ll see about introducing me to his mother. Baby steps… Just baby steps…_

...TBC...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -On to some of the stuff mentioned this chapter that needs a little expanding on.
> 
> \- The Dream- I wanted this to show what the anime rarely ever does: Satoshi talking about his past journeys. Often times Satoshi’s memory gets retconned so that each season can mostly stand on its own with a hand wave toward the fact that he’s participated in past leagues. _((And while I personally think, in universe, Satoshi rescans Pokemon he encounters for an idea of their movesets (XY052 where Keromatsu evolves to Gekogashira blatantly points this out), from the anime stand point it’s done so people/the newest generations watching that haven’t seen previous seasons/episodes can see the Pokemon scanned like it’s the first time.))_ Frankly, I don’t see why Satoshi wouldn’t talk about some of his past adventures more often, and if he doesn’t I’m sure Pikachu would at least get asked questions by the other Pokemon. With Satoshi’s XY &Z maturity levels, however, I can see him being a little more reluctant to admitting his insecurities about how he started out, especially to Gekkouga. But with their promise to start over in XY&Z027/XY121, I can see Satoshi talking to him about it for their bond’s sake.
> 
> \- The Koratta- If they’re going to finally give us backstory on just why Satoshi has become the person he is, then I’m going to fit it in however I please. Hence, Koratta from Satoshi’s rainy day flashback is getting a role. More on her later.
> 
> \- Pidgeot vs Onisuzume Territory War- Simply put, pre-build up to the ever lasting grudge the Route 1 Onisuzume (and later Onidrill) will have against Satoshi. Makes things a little more interesting now that Keromatsu is going to be a factor in that grudge.
> 
> \- Satoshi’s Childhood- I know I opened up a giant box of what ifs here. A lot of this stemmed from the fact that we don’t really know much about Aura or Satoshi’s childhood. We don’t know how early Aura abilities manifest, or what shape they take in children. We also don’t know what Satoshi’s school life was like or if he even went to ‘school’ as we think of it. What we do know is Satoshi draws Pokemon to him and has since he was young, he has huge Aura potential, and his education couldn’t have been the greatest considering he has no idea about the other regions and their Pokemon until he’s told about them during his journey. So, here’s me filling in the gaps by playing on the fact that Masara Town is one of those small towns where everyone knows each other and is very set in their ways, the school system/education is a little lacking due to location, and children can be some of the cruelest things in the world.
> 
> \- Memory Wipe- My way of explaining why Satoshi doesn’t mention any of the drama/trauma I’ve created for his childhood. Parents will do just about anything if they love their kids to make them safe and happy, even take drastic measures. This is another reason why I wanted Hanako to have a Pokemon around the house from the start, specifically a Psychic-type, as Mewtwo proved that Psychic-types were capable of _(not automatically able to)_ learning to do this.
> 
> \- Keromatsu-Satoshi Aura- I pretty much explained exactly what’s going on in the chapter but I’ll reiterate. Satoshi transferred nearly all his Aura to Gekkouga through their bond to save him from the blast by the Ultimate Weapon. Keromatsu thinks that left a permanent impression on his soul, which it did, but he also does still contain that Aura. This will be important and expanded on in later chapters. For now though, what is happening is young!Satoshi’s Aura recognizes the impression and gets residual feelings from it.
> 
> \- For those thinking Satoshi is already recovering too quickly, let me point out that recovering so he can function normally again does not mean there won’t be lingering effects. He still has a ways to go, but since he won’t be memory wiped this time around, Satoshi will have to deal with the lingering emotional scars over time.
> 
> Japanese to English (In order of appearance)
> 
> Hanako - Delia Ketchum  
> Barrierd - Mr. Mime  
> Hiyoku City - Coumarine City  
> Miare Internationale - Lumiose International  
> Tokiwa City - Viridian City  
> Shigeru - Gary Oak  
> Sekiei Conference - Indigo Plateau Conference  
> Takeshi - Brock  
> Kasumi - Misty  
> Kenji - Tracey  
> Johto - Johto  
> Hoenn - Hoenn  
> Gojika-san - Olympia  
> Pigeon - Pidgeotto  
> Pidgeot - Pidgeot  
> Lucky - Chansey  
> Citron - Clemont  
> Harimaron - Chespin  
> Fushigidane - Bulbasaur  
> Spear - Beedrill  
> Koratta - Rattata  
> Onisuzume - Spearow  
> Onidrill - Fearow  
> Poppo - Pidgey  
> Fukuji-san - Ramos  
> Gogoat - Gogoat  
> Kalos - Kalos  
> Nyaonix - Meowstic  
> Butterfree - Butterfree  
> Ratta - Raticate  
> Foodin - Alakazam  
> Eureka - Bonnie  
> Puni-chan - Squishy  
> Zygarde - Zygarde  
> Mewtwo - Mewtwo


	3. Pre-Journey Arc: Childhood Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -As usual, please read the end chapter notes for explanations about points made in chapter.
> 
> - _Italicized_ is Thoughts
> 
> - _"Italicized"_ is Pokemon Speech
> 
> - _::Italicized::_ is Pokemon Telepathy

Keromatsu awoke at dawn, and upon seeing Satoshi was still asleep decided to stretch and seek out breakfast before the boy got up. As he made to scale down the tree, however, he spotted a Pokemon approaching from the distant tree-line that made him pause. A male Butterfree, antennae slightly curling and wings ever so slightly translucent to show its advancing age, fluttered across the field and into the yard, ascending to Satoshi’s window and peeking in. Though it was more out of paranoia, Keromatsu tensed incase he needed to fight the Pokemon in Satoshi’s defense but a physically spoken greeting from Foodin at the front porch made him relax.

_“Good morning, Butterfree. Satoshi-chan is still sleeping I’m afraid. Shall we have breakfast while we wait?”_

The Butterfree turned to the Psychic-type and fluttered down with a sad sigh. _“Good morning, Foodin… Has…has there been any change with Satoshi-chan?”_

The question reminded Keromatsu of what Koratta had told him the previous day, about a Butterfree that had met Satoshi the same day she did and tried to visit him every day. _This must be him. Judging by Foodin’s behavior, he must come here every morning,_ Keromatsu thought with some sadness for the aging Pokemon.

Foodin gave a smile as she replied, _“There has actually. In fact, since he’s awake I’d like to introduce you to the one responsible for the change.”_

Keromatsu took that as a cue and lightly hopped down from the tree with a greeting of his own. _“Good morning, Foodin. And good morning, Butterfree.”_

Butterfree startled a bit as he turned to look at the Bubble Frog before laughing softly at himself. _“I’m truly getting old if I didn’t notice anyone in the tree. Pleased to meet you, young one.”_

_“This is Keromatsu, Butterfree, and he just arrived yesterday evening. Come, we’ll go to the garden and talk while we have some breakfast,”_ Foodin insisted, motioning for the two to follow her around to the back side of the house.

The garden was fairly sizable, two sides lined with lavender bushes and the inner plots filled with various herbs and ground patch berries. Simple but homey, and clearly well taken care of considering the brightness of the lavender flowers and the size of the berries. Foodin carefully picked a selection of berries for the three to share, and much to Keromatsu’s surprise she used _Psychic_ to dig up a small stone box near the back of the garden and removed a jar of near clear honey. At Keromatsu’s expression Foodin explained with a fond smile.

_“This is Lavender Honey, Mitsuhoney made. Okido-hakase has a small number of Mitsuhoney on the reservation, and each one specializes in making honey from certain flowers grown by families here in Masara Town. Hanako-dono is especially fond of lavender, but it’s a flower that takes a long time to make honey from, so she has to specially store it in order to have a regular supply of it. I seal each jar she receives with my powers and then place them in stone boxes to block the scent from pests, while burying it keeps it cool without it losing its flow like it would in the refrigerator.”_

Keromatsu made a noise of understanding, settling down near the garden with Butterfree while Foodin removed a few small plates from a wicker basket nearby. The Psychic-type divided up the berries between the plates and drizzled a small amount of honey on each before resealing the jar and storing it away again, serving her guests before herself once he took a seat. Said guests gave their thanks for the meal before taking a few bites, Keromatsu appreciating the mellow sweetness the honey provided.

After those first bites, Foodin recounted to Butterfree the events of the prior evening, explaining that Keromatsu intended to stay and help Satoshi recover. Once Foodin finished, Butterfree turned to Keromatsu with both confusion and hope.

_“Were you able to talk to Satoshi-chan? And how did you know about him?”_

Taking a breath, Keromatsu reiterated what he had told Pidgeot and Koratta the previous day. _“I come from the Kalos region, a long way from here, and I came because of a vision given to me by a powerful human psychic and her partnered Psychic-type Pokemon. She told me of a boy named Satoshi from Masara Town that had an enormous destiny before him, and that she saw me helping him. She couldn’t, however, tell me when he would come to Kalos, so I made the decision to come here myself. I learned about what happened to him and that he possessed Aura abilities from a Koratta he is friends with and the leader of the Pidgeot flock.”_ He paused and took a drink from the water skein he still carried, making a mental note to refill it later before continuing.

_“I asked Pidgeot to land in full view of Satoshi and talk to Foodin in order to determine just how badly his experiences had hurt him, and how much I would be able to help him. Thankfully, he has not lost his love for Pokemon or the natural curiosity all children have, and he stayed to watch Pidgeot talk with Foodin even when Koratta appeared to pass along a message to them both. I spoke with him last night before he went to bed by capitalizing on his curiosity so he wouldn’t run, and he asked if I would be here in the morning. That tells me that while he is upset and scared by what happened, he is still very capable of healing and is reaching the point where he’s willing to reach out in order to get rid of his loneliness.”_

_“Thank Arceus,”_ Butterfree breathed with tears in his eyes. _“I was starting to lose hope. He’s been in his home for nearly four seasons now, and I know he’s fallen far behind in his learning. I’m also afraid that neglect of his abilities will cause him to lose them.”_

Keromatsu gave him a reassuring smile. _“While Satoshi was nervous to use his Aura, his ability with it seems strong. I will be working with him on strengthening his control over it, as I’ve met a Pokemon able to use Aura before and have an idea of what Satoshi can do to improve. That will also help get him used to speaking with Pokemon again, and reinforce what I told him last night, that he is no demon, but a potential Aura Guardian.”_

Butterfree and Foodin both drew sharp breaths, the Psychic-type demanding, _“Who told Satoshi-chan he was a_ demon _?! That’s utterly ridiculous!”_

_“Apparently, the children who bullied him and attacked anyone who tried to make friends with him,”_ Keromatsu replied grimly, stomping down on his own outrage.

_“I ought to give those brats a piece of my mind. I hadn’t realized he’d taken their name-calling so seriously, I thought he was just upset about their attacks on him and the other children,”_ Butterfree murmured, anger clear in the stiffness of his posture.

_“Was anything done to those brats, by the way? I know in Kalos extreme bullying that nearly maims someone is dealt with very harshly,”_ Keromatsu asked.

_“I know the teacher complained to their parents, but I think she was brushed off until that poor little girl was nearly blinded,”_ Butterfree replied, wings drooping with sadness as he mentioned the girl. _“The girl was removed from the school to heal and she remains at home as well, but she is recovering and doesn’t seem to blame Satoshi-chan.”_

_“I heard Hanako-dono talking with Okido-hakase about getting Officer Junsa to investigate the bullying, but I’m unsure if that actually happened or not,”_ Foodin added, scowling as she fingered her spoons in what seemed to be a habit. _“Considering one of those brats is the son of that retired preacher, I’m going to assume probably not.”_

_“Preacher?”_

_“Oh yes,”_ Foodin confirmed with an even deeper scowl. _“Okido-hakase and Hanako-dono have complained about him more than once. He’s one of those humans who believes The Creator is just a myth and there can only be a human God. He acts like he’s some higher being and treats everyone else like ignorant children. He also hounds Hanako-dono for being a single mother, telling her she has to remarry or she’s dooming Satoshi-chan to endless suffering or something. He has a following, but most of the residents ignore him and most Pokemon avoid him.”_

Now Keromatsu was scowling; he hadn’t expected to be dealing with a fanatic so soon into his task, but he resolved to keep an eye out for the man and his offspring. The last thing the Water-type wanted was Satoshi being bothered by both a bully and said bully’s parent. _“Could you point him out to me later? I want to know who I need to keep Satoshi far away from, especially while he’s recovering.”_

_“Certainly, though thankfully he lives on the far side of Masara Town, away from both us and Okido-hakase’s lab. With any luck, you won’t see him often.”_

Nodding his understanding, and relief, Keromatsu continued his story. _“I told Koratta to come back tomorrow so I would have time to get Satoshi used to using his Aura around Pokemon again, and I plan on teaching him a method of control today.”_ Keromatsu paused a moment before saying delicately, _“Butterfree, I know you want to talk to Satoshi again, but would you be willing to wait until tomorrow so Koratta can be present too? It may be better for him to reunite with both of you at the same time than apart.”_

Butterfree tilted his head in confusion. _“I…I can wait if need be, but why?”_

_“If Satoshi goes against my expectations for today and relapses, he will feel caged if too many of us are here,”_ Keromatsu explained. _“That feeling could make him either lash out, or more likely, completely shut down and leave him worse off than he was before. This is just a precaution however, as I truly don’t think he will relapse.”_

_“I see. Then yes, for Satoshi-chan’s sake, I’ll wait until tomorrow.”_

_“Speaking of Satoshi-chan, he should be waking up in the next hour or so,”_ Foodin informed, finishing her breakfast after the statement. _“Keromatsu, if you’d like to rehydrate before going to see him I can create a swimming bubble for you.”_

_“Ah, I would appreciate that, thank you,”_ Keromatsu agreed as the last time he had swam was on Route 1 a few hours before he met Koratta. As a Water-type, his body naturally needed some time submerged in water to maintain good hydration levels and overall health. Since he was amphibious, he needed less time, less regularly than say the Tattu line who were primarily water-bound. Finishing off his breakfast, Keromatsu watched in fascination as Foodin used _Psychic_ to first turn on the water hose and then manipulate the resulting stream into a water bubble about four feet in diameter before turning off the hose, the effortless control she possessed very telling of her strength.

Excusing himself to Butterfree, Keromatsu leapt up into the water bubble, testing his buoyancy for a moment before leisurely swimming in random patterns. He used the twenty minutes swimming to reflect on his actions so far since Time was reversed, thinking over his training and what else he could do to improve, and thinking about how he could help Satoshi further train his Aura once he had meditation down.

His thoughts also briefly turned to the future, his daunting task of preventing that horrible day in Miare City, and Keromatsu mentally grimaced at how much needed to be done. Eventually he needed to figure out a way of tracking Fleur-de-lis’ movements, or at least Alan’s movements since the ginger-haired man had used the teen to collect Mega Evolution energy. But for now he could do nothing about the man, as there were other crises that would need attending to first.

He recalled the stories Satoshi and Pikachu had shared with him and the other Pokemon, during breaks when training or quiet moments before meals or whenever he would slip off to watch the sunset or sunrise with just his Pokemon. Battles with and against legendaries, organizations twisted by greed and ambition…and though Pikachu never went into detail when it would come up, Keromatsu knew there had been times when Satoshi nearly died. Even discounting his primary task, the road he, and Satoshi, would be walking was extremely dangerous. But it had been his choice to walk it, not only when Arceus made his offer, but as far back as that first night on the road after Yayakoma had been caught.

~Flashback~

“Hey, Citron? Would you mind watching Pikachu for me? There’s something I want to talk to Keromatsu and Yayakoma about.”

The blond inventor looked up from where he was putting away the dishes from dinner as Keromatsu and Yayakoma exchanged a confused look from Satoshi’s shoulders. What did Satoshi want to talk about?

“Sure thing, Satoshi. Don’t go too far though, there’re Spear nests on this route.”

Satoshi smiled and nodded, giving a wave as he walked off. “Will do, thanks Citron!”

The boy walked about half a mile from camp, back toward the small crag where Yayakoma had been added to the team, and he stopped at a large weathered tree with its roots partly wrapped around a boulder big enough to sit on. And Satoshi did take a seat, facing toward the horizon where the sun was just starting to sink. He gently pulled Keromatsu off his shoulder to sit on his lap and held a hand up for Yayakoma to hop on so he could lower him to settle beside the Bubble Frog. Both Pokemon looked up at him in query as Satoshi seemed to order his thoughts before speaking.

“I’ve been thinking about what happened yesterday, with Gaburias and Prism Tower. To bring you up to speed Yayakoma, Gaburias belongs to Platane-hakase in Miare City and was targeted by a trio of thieves who have been following me to steal Pikachu since my first few days of being a trainer. They used a collar that was supposed to control her mind, but like a lot of their plans, it malfunctioned and sent her into a painful rampage. Pikachu, Keromatsu, and I followed her all the way to the top of Prism Tower and managed to get the collar off of her. But some of the tower broke and Pikachu fell off. I dove off the tower to try and save him.”

Yayakoma twittered in shock, and though Satoshi wouldn’t understand the words Keromatsu could. _“You did_ what _?! I’ve seen the tower before and how high it is, and you went jumping off of it when you can’t fly?! I ought to smack you around the head with my wing, that’s_ insane _!”_

_“I was shocked myself when it happened,”_ Keromatsu admitted, shuddering as he recalled his horror when first Pikachu fell and then Satoshi ran and jumped after him when there was no way the boy could survive that fall. _“I do admire his bravery and dedication though. It’s one reason why I wanted to come with him.”_ The Water-type then looked at Satoshi with a small scowl. _“But if you_ ever _pull something like that for me then when we survive it I’m going to smack you one myself. You are human, not a Pokemon, so you leave the dangerous stunts to us.”_

Satoshi clearly got the gist of their scolding, since he gave a weak chuckle as he lightly scratched his cheek. “I’m sorry for worrying you, Keromatsu, but it was all instinct. I’d rather I be the one hurt than a Pokemon, especially my Pokemon…and that’s really what I need to talk to you two about.”

Both Pokemon looked curious, and Satoshi resettled his position before speaking. “Pikachu and I have been traveling for a long time now, have been through five regions, two archipelagos, and one Battle Frontier. We’ve added so many Pokemon to our family, been so many places, and met so many people it’s almost unreal… We’ve also had a lot of adventures and…been in some very dangerous situations.”

Satoshi paused for a long moment, hesitating, before he shrugged a little self-consciously. “If you choose to stay with us, Pikachu and I will probably tell you about them all, but let me put it this way. Every region I’ve been to, there have been world-shaking problems and I’ve met and helped the Legendaries that reside in those regions. When I went to the Orange Islands, the very first place I’d been to that wasn’t on Kanto’s mainland, I saved the Guardian of the Seas, Lugia, and helped him restore the balance of the three birds Fire, Thunder, and Freezer that had been targeted by a very greedy man. I nearly died several times then, including almost drowned.”

_“Wait, isn’t that when those strange weather patterns happened? The time when we all felt the calling to journey east?”_ Yayakoma asked. _“I remember flying with my mother until we landed on a passing Gyarados, and when we arrived at the source we watched the Great White Guardian rise from the ocean and sing of victory.”_

_“Yes. I remember Platane-hakase locking down the lab to keep all of us Pokemon in residence from running off and getting hurt,”_ Keromatsu agreed, his eyes never leaving Satoshi’s expression. _“You really do get into a lot of trouble, don’t you?”_

Satoshi obviously guessed at what Keromatsu was saying and pet them both. “I get into a lot of trouble, and while I always get out of it, there are a lot of close calls for both me and my Pokemon. Yesterday was a pretty good sign that this region is going to be just as challenging and probably just as dangerous as my other adventures were. And that means both of you will be in danger if you choose to stay with me.”

Expression serious and eyes sad, Satoshi laid it all out for them. “I don’t run from danger if I can fight, especially if someone is in trouble. I’m not going to short myself or you by saying we can’t handle that, but I also won’t lie and ignore that someone could end up badly hurt or worse. Now I’m asking you both, because you deserve to have the choice with the knowledge that life with me is risky. Do you want to stay? If not, I will release you if you wish.”

If Keromatsu had any doubts left about Satoshi’s character, that shattered them. This was a boy who was courageous and strong, cherished the lives of others, and was also willing to put the wishes of others –not just their lives– before his own. This was everything he had longed for in a trainer, everything that had been missing from the trainers before: equality, love, and friendship, a _family_. Risky and dangerous or not, Keromatsu was not going to give this boy up, not for anyone or thing in the world. So, he met Satoshi’s gaze solidly and gave a nod before leaning forward and giving him the first hug he had ever given anyone.

Though he wasn’t looking, he heard Yayakoma flutter back up to Satoshi’s shoulder and he must have nuzzled against the boy’s cheek because Satoshi gave a little laugh and mumbled about it tickling. A gentle hand, fingertips calloused from long travel, stroked along the back of Keromatsu’s head before the hug was returned, all while the boy chuckled as Yayakoma began twittering at him to lecture him about letting them handle the dangerous situations.

~End Flashback~

That was the start of their journey together, the _real_ start, there in the light of the setting sun. Satoshi had given them the choice, and they both had chosen to stay, even when the journey turned out even more dangerous than Satoshi had suspected. Now here Keromatsu was, walking a new journey where this time he knew exactly how badly it could all end, and he had to prepare Satoshi to walk it with him.

A large part of Keromatsu considered going on his own, leaving Satoshi safe in Masara Town and going out to try and head off every potential disaster he had been told of… But he couldn’t, and not _just_ because he was selfish enough to want Satoshi and all of his family at his side again. He only knew Satoshi’s and Pikachu’s side of events, and some problems the pair had no idea what caused them, or what the enemies had been doing prior to those events. Keromatsu didn’t have the information necessary to set out on his own and have a legitimate chance of succeeding. The Bubble Frog hated himself a little for the relief he felt at the knowledge he couldn’t do this alone. But there was no way around it, so he would prepare Satoshi for what was to come, and make sure he himself would be strong enough this time to keep his trainer safe, so Satoshi would never have to sacrifice his life for the Water-type again.

Flipping on his back so he could stare at the morning sky, Keromatsu vowed, _It won’t be like last time. We’ll win, and no one is going to destroy my family again._

_“Keromatsu, I believe I sense Satoshi-chan stirring.”_

Acknowledging Foodin’s comment by swimming and hopping out of the bubble, Keromatsu watched as the Psychic-type carefully sprinkled the water over the garden before tossing the remainder further out to water the trees at the edge of the yard.

_“I’ll go and meet with Satoshi then. I’ll report my progress tonight if I don’t see you before then.”_ Keromatsu then turned and tilted his head respectfully to Butterfree. _“It was good to meet you, Butterfree.”_

_“And you, young one. I leave Satoshi-chan in your hands. Please, take good care of him.”_

_“I will,”_ Keromatsu promised before making his way back to his claimed tree, reaching the branch near the window just as Satoshi came to open it, looking unsure. Keromatsu once again made his way along the branch to the leaf patch, unsurprised to see the apprehension change to relieved happiness as his eyes glowed with Aura.

“I wasn’t dreaming… Good morning, Keromatsu.”

_“Good morning, Satoshi. I did promise I would be here, remember?”_

The boy nodded. “Yeah, you did. And…you said you could teach me about…my Aura.”

Keromatsu noted the hesitation with a slight frown and said softly, _“I did, and I will. I also said you didn’t need to be afraid of your abilities. You are very special, Satoshi, a potential Aura Guardian. You are not a demon or anything like one.”_

Satoshi fidgeted a little, hands grasping the windowsill white-knuckled, and fear in his eyes as he asked what was on his mind. _“But…how? I mean, how did I get this? How do you know I’m not a…a demon?”_

Unable to stand the distance anymore when Satoshi needed comfort, Keromatsu took a breath and leapt over to the windowsill, startling the boy a little but the Bubble Frog locked him in place with a piercing gaze as he took one of Satoshi’s hands in both of his.

_“Something you’ll eventually learn is that heartbeats can be felt from various points on the body,”_ Keromatsu started as he placed one hand over the pulse point in Satoshi’s wrist, and a strand of tension he’d possessed from the moment he found the future Satoshi dead finally unraveled as he felt the fluttering heartbeat. _“Your heartbeat is how I know you’re not a demon. Demons are the souls of those who committed great evil when they were alive and feel no remorse for their actions. They have no hearts, no pulse of life, and no Pokemon will suffer their presence peacefully. It is an inborn instinct for us Pokemon, to reject the demonic.”_

Gaze softening, Keromatsu gently squeezed the hand in his grasp. _“I don’t know where your Aura abilities came from, but I feel no need to run from you or attack, and to my understanding you draw Pokemon to you, not repel them. Koratta, Butterfree, and even Foodin miss the child who would play with them without a care in the world. And your heart beats just like mine, just like theirs. So no, Satoshi, you are no demon.”_

Tears built up in those caramel eyes before Satoshi scooped Keromatsu into a tight hug, face partially buried in his keromousse as the child slumped to his knees. Though surprised that Satoshi had initiated contact –he hadn’t expected that to happen for at least a few more days–, Keromatsu hugged the child back as tightly as he could, wishing he was in his final evolution form so he could actually get his arms around the boy. He made soothing murmurs as Satoshi started crying with relief, multiple ‘thank you’s and ‘I’m not a demon’ being muffled in the Water-type’s white fluff. But there was a strand of protective rage in the back of his mind, furious at just how bad the bullying had to have been for Satoshi to breakdown so much from a simple reassurance.

_Those bullies better hope I can keep my temper if I ever meet them, or I’ll relearn Water Pulse just to send them flying,_ Keromatsu thought darkly, before shoving away the negative feelings so he could continue soothing his trainer, his next thought sad. _But it’s no wonder his mother would have had his memories removed. So much fear bottled up would have slowly killed him._

Once Satoshi had cried himself out and loosened his hold so Keromatsu was standing on the boy’s lap, the Bubble Frog gently brushed away at his tear trails. _“Are you all right, Satoshi? You must have been holding those tears in for a while.”_

“Uh huh,” Satoshi murmured with a nod and half sniffle. “I…I haven’t told anyone about what they said. I didn’t…want anyone else to…to get hurt or hate me.”

_“That’s understandable. But when you’re ready you should at least tell your mother. I’m sure she won’t treat you badly just because you have special abilities.”_

Satoshi nibbled his bottom lip in nervousness at the repeated suggestion but did give a tiny nod. “I-I will, when I’m ready.”

_“Good.”_ Keromatsu gave a warm smile, about to say something else when a muffled female voice echoed through the house and startled them both.

“Satoshi-chan, are you awake? Breakfast is ready!”

“Y-Yes! I’m awake, Kaa-chan!”

_“You should go clean up before you see her, Satoshi. She’ll worry if she sees you’ve been crying.”_

Satoshi nodded before asking with concern, “But, what about you?”

_“Ah, I had breakfast with Foodin this morning before you were awake,”_ the Bubble Frog reassured. _“Don’t worry about me, Satoshi. I’ll be here when you come back up and we’ll start going over what I can teach you.”_

“O-Okay.” Satoshi hesitated before hugging Keromatsu again, then finally letting go so he could get up and hurry off to the bathroom with an embarrassed blush.

Honestly it was endearing how affectionate the boy was when he allowed himself to be. Keromatsu made a mental note to encourage the boy to regain his ease of showing that affection, even if it meant he’d be smothered in hugs regularly. Not that the Water-type disliked hugs per say, but he was more reserved in giving them, preferring to save it for moments of triumph and celebration…or grief.

Keromatsu flinched at his mind’s reminder of the last time he’d been within arm’s length of Satoshi, shaking his head rapidly before forcing himself to find a distraction. Exploring his trainer’s room seemed a good one, so the Bubble Frog moved away from the window and took it in.

The love of Pokemon was very clearly displayed in the form of posters on the walls and several Pokedolls everywhere, though Keromatsu was a little miffed and confused as to why only Kanto Pokemon were featured. Hopping on the desk beside the raised futon platform, Keromatsu smiled to see the comforter was dual shades of blue with standard Pokeballs –fitting considering his trainer. And then Keromatsu took a look at the books on the desk and frowned in confusion.

The desk clearly held only educational books, however, all of them were strictly about Kanto. And did one book title say _All 150 Known Pokemon in the World_?

_What in the world…?_

His time in Platane-hakase’s lab in the original timeline had seen Keromatsu learning to read human writing (even if he couldn’t understand why some regions needed their own writing systems), and quite a bit about the education of aspiring trainers before they get their licenses. In Kalos, pre-trainers were required to be familiar with the names and locations of all the regions and their largest cities, and know –at minimum– each region’s starters and regional bird. While there was a globe present on the desk, it was one that only had the region names, and that was the only indicator that Satoshi was learning anything not Kanto-centered. Concerned, Keromatsu checked the drawers in case other books were just tucked away but came up empty-handed.

_How in Arceus’ name is he supposed to qualify to become a trainer without knowing the other regions?_

With trepidation, Keromatsu pulled over the book claiming there were only one-hundred and fifty Pokemon and opened it to the first chapter. Two pages in he was gaping in shock. Not only did it claim there were only one-hundred and fifty Pokemon –which was including Mew– but that there were only fifteen Typings. That shock quickly turned to anger; it was like someone was deliberately trying to sabotage Satoshi’s education. How could his mother allow this? Because surely she had to know about the other regions’ Pokemon as he recalled Satoshi once mentioning she was long-time friends with Okido-hakase, who was a world renown researcher.

Grimly, Keromatsu realized this dearth of information explained a few minor things he had noticed about future Satoshi’s habits. For example, his ignorance on what the Kalos starters were and that there was a Fairy Typing, even though Dedenne was a part Fairy-type. The way he neglected to research about any given location, aside from where the gyms and Pokemon Centers were, also spoke of a long habit of not knowing there was more information he needed to know.

He couldn’t let this stand. While clearly Satoshi had qualified to be a trainer previously, Keromatsu suspected it was either just barely or Kanto had nearly criminally lax standards for becoming a trainer. With a mental apology to his trainer, Keromatsu passed the time figuring out a list of what he would need to get the boy studying alongside his Aura training. If only he could write as well as read, because Keromatsu was certain he needed to make a physical list.

Keromatsu was so engrossed in his planning that he almost didn’t notice Satoshi returning to the room, but he definitely noticed the sound of the boy’s mother trailing behind her son and quickly took cover beneath the desk.

“––I also want you to read back through the chapter on Pokemon grooming in your new book, before reviewing Type advantage and disadvantage.”

“But Kaa-chan––“

“I know you don’t think much of it, but its important. It’s all well and good to think any Pokemon can overcome any odds regardless of Type, but it’s the trainer’s responsibility to know the difference between challenging and irresponsible endangerment.”

“I know that, but I reviewed that last week! You even said I passed the quiz…”

“You did, but when we made up battle scenarios a few days ago, you were still using poor Type choices. So we’ll keep going over it for now.”

“…Yes, Kaa-chan.”

“Good. Now I need to get to the restaurant, so I’ll see you late this afternoon. Foodin will have lunch made for you, and there is fruit and milk for snacks.”

“Okay, Kaa-chan, have a good day…”

“You too, sweetie.”

Keromatsu frowned as he mulled over the conversation, waiting for Satoshi to come in and close the door. While he now knew the boy’s mother was encouraging him to study, it also sounded like she was just having him go over old information repeatedly. While that was good for memorization, it did nothing to expand Satoshi’s knowledge. And then there was the fact that she was essentially leaving Satoshi on his own. Good for his independence, but without someone to assist him when he needed help, learning would be twice as hard. Unless Foodin was meant to help, but seeing as Satoshi was only just now healing so that he could be around Pokemon again…how had the boy been learning if his mother was away at work?

Once the door shut and Satoshi asked for him, Keromatsu came out from his hiding spot and zeroed in on the sad frustration on his trainer’s face. Hopping over to him as the boy essentially flopped to a sitting position, the Bubble Frog took up residence on Satoshi’s lap and met his gaze in concern.

_“Are you alright?”_

Satoshi was silent for a long moment before he hugged Keromatsu and said softly, “Kaa-chan doesn’t want me to travel.”

_“Why?” That doesn’t sound anything like how Satoshi described her in the future…_

“I…I think it has to do with…whoever my tou-san is.”

That made Keromatsu pause with realization: he had no idea about Satoshi’s father. Whenever family came up in conversation, Satoshi had gushed about his mother and Pokemon, but the word ‘father’ never so much was hinted at. The Water-type had a sinking feeling he knew what Satoshi’s mother was doing, and that it was highly possible that the memory wipe had also caused Satoshi to forget his mother’s aversion to him traveling. But just to be sure…

_“Why do you think so?”_

Satoshi was looking teary-eyed again, but he answered anyway, brushing the tears away with a hint of resigned frustration. “I don’t know who my tou-san is or what he looks like. Kaa-chan…doesn’t talk about him, and gets upset when he’s mentioned. All I know about him is that he went on a Pokemon journey…and never came back. I…I think Kaa-chan just doesn’t want to be alone here, or maybe she’s scared I won’t come back either… All I know is she keeps having me review those books and says it’s all I need to know to pass the test for my license.”

_Lax standards for Kanto trainers it is then… No wonder no one really talks about any distinct Kanto trainers aside from the Champion… “…I’ve taken a look at one of your books, the one saying there’s only one-hundred and fifty Pokemon… I think you know it’s not accurate, don’t you?”_

The boy nodded, his expression melting into a sad smile. “I knew…and seeing you makes it really obvious.” Then the tears came back, and this time he didn’t wipe them away. “But…it scares me, really scares me, that I don’t know a lot. How can I if I only know about Kanto? If…If I do become a trainer, I’ll look like an idiot when I see Pokemon from other places but have no idea about those places. And I want to see the world, see everything out there and meet all the Pokemon I can… But how can I if I can’t even learn about them when I should?”

Those words told Keromatsu exactly how much the memory wipe had been a bad thing for the future Satoshi. Here was a boy that knew there was a world beyond his region and wanted to know it, wanted to _prepare_ to know it. And while the older version certainly had been getting out to see the world, he’d had no preparation, no desire to prepare to face the world beyond his home and just rolled with anything that came his way. Remembering his dream from the plane, Keromatsu knew that had been a poor way for Satoshi to approach his goal of being a Pokemon Master, and the boy himself had known it enough to doubt whether they could have had a bond if they met when he started his journey.

That wasn’t going to happen this time around.

Keromatsu placed a hand on Satoshi’s cheek, patting at the tears that were falling. _“You aren’t and will not be an idiot, Satoshi. I’m here to help you, remember? And remember, I told you your Aura abilities give you more options for training, and that doesn’t just apply to training your Pokemon.”_

“Really?”

_“Yes. Up to the desk, we have time for a different lesson before we get started on what I really want to teach you.”_ Satoshi obligingly carried Keromatsu as he got up and took a seat at the desk, letting the Bubble Frog hop on top of it and move over to the globe.

_“Something we will eventually do is contact the Kingdom of Rota to get you officially recognized as an Aura Guardian to be.”_ Turning the globe so the boy could see, Keromatsu plopped a piece of keromousse in the area between northwestern Kanto and northeastern Johto. _“I’d need a more detailed map to show you its exact location, but Rota is around here. They are the last remaining experts on Aura and Aura Guardians, and will know how to progress you further once you’re adept in what I know. If we’re able to contact them before you earn your license, I’m sure something can be arranged for you to be tutored extensively about the other regions, though I’ll share everything I know as well. If we have to wait until after you’re a trainer, then I recommend we journey to Rota before anything else, aside from badge collecting.”_

Some confusion crossed Satoshi’s face. “But, if we go to Rota first, then I probably won’t be able to try the Sekiei Conference, right? So, why collect the badges?”

_“Ah, that has to do with training,”_ Keromatsu started, shooting a certain very inaccurate book a scathing look. _“And I doubt_ that _book will go into it much or accurately. As simply as I can put it, Pokemon respect humans who not only treat them well, love them, but are proficient battlers. For many Pokemon lines, as a Pokemon grows stronger or evolves, they will demand a trainer grow stronger too or lose respect for them and become disobedient. This is far more common in Pokemon that you receive through trades or at least spent a long period of time with another trainer. Badges are a way of showing your strength. I’m not quite sure what the origin of that comes from, but we’ll find out at some point.”_

Keromatsu then gave a warm smile. _“Of course, for many Pokemon the badges are unnecessary, especially if you have a prior good relationship with them or have earned their trust and affection before capture. Considering how Koratta and Butterfree adore you, I think you’ll be winning Pokemon over without too many issues just fine. Still, it doesn’t hurt to be able to test our growth against the Gym Leaders, and winning the badges is an excellent achievement.”_

Satoshi was quiet for a long moment, hands fidgeting in a signal the boy was growing nervous, so Keromatsu asked in concern, _“Is something wrong, Satoshi?”_

Those caramel eyes arrested his own gaze, the painful hope and trepidation in them making him a little speechless with their intensity. He understood why though when the boy finally spoke. “You…you keep saying _we_ … That _we’ll_ go to Rota and _we’ll_ learn about all these different things… Are…are you staying with me? Do…do you _want_ to stay…?”

In a way Keromatsu could have kicked himself for not watching what he was saying, but the vast majority of him was overwhelmed by the longing to have his family back. If Satoshi wanted him to stay, and it was pretty clear he did, nothing could make the Bubble Frog say no. _“Do you remember what I said last night? That we knew each other in another life?”_

“Yes…”

_“That…that feeling is what sent me on my journey, what made me leave Kalos and come here. I was searching for someone…someone I instinctively knew I missed even if I hadn’t met them yet… There are things in my past that I need to come to terms with, so I…can’t be fully open with you yet… But I have no intention of leaving you, especially not if you want me to stay.”_

Satoshi half cried in relief as he said, ' _Yes_ ' and when he reached out for a hug, this time Keromatsu met him halfway. The Water-type relished in his own relief and everything finally felt right with his world again as he let Satoshi’s warmth envelop him. He was finally home.

Had Keromatsu been paying attention, he would have noticed an ember of warm power taking the place of the void he had possessed since the older Satoshi died, and would have known to keep an eye on their rebuilding bond.

After a long moment they pulled out of the hug, Satoshi wiping away his tears while Keromatsu grabbed a tissue for him. Once settled again, Keromatsu continued the previous conversation.

_“So, since we know you need more information than what’s in those books, let me go over what we’re going to do until you get your license. Might as well make a list we can check off as we go.”_

Satoshi obligingly pulled out a pad of paper and pencil, looking at Keromatsu expectantly. _“First, Aura Training, more specifically two types of meditation. I know that doesn’t sound very fun, but it’s the basis for Aura use and control, and the sooner we start on it, the easier it will be later.”_

While writing, Satoshi asked, “But, what are the types? I thought meditation was just sitting still for a long time.”

Keromatsu shook his head with a rueful grin. _“That’s a bit of a misconception. I’ll go into better detail when we really start on it, but meditation is a mental exercise to find peace and stillness within your mind, increasing your focus and even your memory. As for the two types, there is Stationary Meditation which is what you’re thinking of, and there’s Moving Meditation, which takes the exercises of the Stationary and applies them while performing a physical activity, which is normally more difficult since you have to multitask.”_

Satoshi tilted his head with consideration as he wrote that down too. “…Actually, that sounds easier than sitting still a long time…”

_“We’ll see which one you take to better, but you will need to be good at both since you’re learning to control your Aura,”_ Keromatsu insisted, chuckling when Satoshi stuck his tongue out in dislike. _“And no trying to get out of sitting still, I’ll know if you aren’t really trying.”_

“Oka~a~y,” Satoshi huffed a little with a faint smile.

_“Aside from that, we’ll need to go over the information I know about all the regions, major archipelagos, and sovereign states. Granted, my information is limited, so we’ll have to convince your mother to get some extra reading materials. But, I know what information you should be aware of at minimum to be a trainer.”_

“So…how do you want to break that down?”

_“Hm, list them like this: Kanto, Orange Islands, Johto, Kingdom of Rota, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Decolora Islands, Kalos, Azoth Kingdom, and Alola Islands.”_

Waiting until Satoshi finished writing that, Keromatsu continued. _“Your mother mentioned reviewing Pokemon grooming, so the next thing we’ll go over will be Pokemon care. That will include grooming, some field medical knowledge, nutrition, and non-move specific training.”_

Satoshi paused as he wrote, hesitating before asking, “Do…do you think I should learn how to make Pokemon food? I know Kaa-chan is going to teach me field cooking, but she also says it would be better to buy Pokemon food than give them a lot of human food.”

_“It’s certainly a good idea, especially since you’ll have access to various ingredient combinations while traveling. We’ll go over that better when we get to it, along with figuring out what style of food and treats you’ll take to making,”_ Keromatsu answered, mostly thinking of the differences between Polocks, Poffins, and Pofflés. _“And I think that should take us into the next topic, the gear you need to take and what you should know is available for purchase.”_

“That’s…a lot to cover,” Satoshi commented as he looked back over the list so far. “Are we going to have enough time before I take the test to get my license?”

_“Some of it we’ll just go over broadly and keep notes on for when we start traveling,”_ Keromatsu admitted. _“Some of the information you should be able to store in an electronic travel guide or a PokeDex once you get one.”_

“PokeDex?”

Keromatsu blinked at the bewilderment on Satoshi’s face. _“It’s a mechanical device that contains information on Pokemon. I’m not sure about here in Kanto, but in Kalos any new trainer can receive or at least request one. Since you’ll eventually be an Aura Guardian and you want to travel the world, you’ll definitely need one. Probably a PokeGear too, which has the ability to hold information you put in, find your location via satellites, and make calls.”_

Satoshi winced. “PokeGears are expensive though, and a PokeDex sounds even more expensive. We’ll have to wait and see on those, because I know there’s no way Kaa-chan and I can afford that right now.”

That surprised Keromatsu a bit, but he did mentally acknowledge that by the time future Satoshi had made it to Kalos, he’d already been in possession of a series of PokeDexs and had more than enough money to purchase a PokeGear but simply chose not to. _“I don’t think you’ll need to worry about buying a PokeDex since it’s a regional researcher’s choice to give them out or not, but I see your point on the PokeGear. Still, keep it in mind for the future.”_

“Okay. Anything else we need for the list?”

_“I think that should do it. Tack it up for now, and I’ll start teaching you meditation.”_

Pulling a box of blue sticky tack from a drawer, Satoshi stuck the list on to his desk’s pseudo-backboard provided by his raised platform futon. Looking at the list himself, Keromatsu admitted that Satoshi was right about the amount they needed to cover, but he had faith in this boy that would become his trainer. They would get it all done, make no mistake. Turning to Satoshi, Keromatsu motioned to the floor.

_“Grab a pillow to sit on. We’re starting with Stationary Meditation.”_

Once the pair got semi-comfortable, Keromatsu taking up residence on Satoshi’s Kabigon Pokedoll, the Bubble Frog started his instructions.

_“All right, let me start with some basic information. Meditation is a method of calming the mind, relaxing the body, and refocusing your energy. Stationary Meditation accomplishes this by staying still in a location that you feel comfortable in, has few to no distractions, and encourages a sense of peace. Until you’re comfortable going outside and away from home again, we’ll do this here in your room.”_ Satoshi gave a nod of understanding at that, some regret in his eyes that eased as Keromatsu smiled reassuringly. _“While this can be done either sitting or standing, I think sitting will be better for you so you have less incentive to move around,”_ Keromatsu explained, shaking his head in amusement as Satoshi again stuck his tongue out.

_“When sitting for meditation, it’s important to keep your spine straight. The Pokemon I met that explained this to me said that slouching or bending the spine slows or full out blocks energy circulation in the body, whether its just the natural energy we produce or Aura. Keep your hands in your lap so you don’t have the urge to try and brace. As far as your legs, you can cross them or partly cross them, which ever is more comfortable to you as long as you aren’t cutting off the circulation of blood flow. You’ll know if you’re doing it wrong when your legs start going numb or get that pins and needles feeling.”_

Keromatsu watched as Satoshi moved around a bit, testing his sitting positions until he settled with a a loose cross leg, neither leg tucked close enough to the body to be considered a full cross leg, and with his right foot slightly tucked under his left leg. Once the boy nodded that he was sticking with the position, Keromatsu hopped off the Pokedoll to move to Satoshi’s side.

_“Okay, now try to straighten your spine. I’ll help you.”_

It took a minute or two to really get him sitting straight as either he kept overcompensating so he’d be bending slightly backward or his shoulders would haunch. Once in the right position, Keromatsu placed both of his hands just above Satoshi’s lower back. _“Okay, now hold that position for a minute or two so you get used to it. I know it feels awkward at the moment, but getting used to it now will make it an automatic response later. And don’t forget to_ breathe _. I was told some have trouble remembering to breathe when they first learn meditation which leads to passing out.”_

They ended up staying that way for close to five minutes, mostly because Keromatsu wanted him to really get used to the feel of the position, but also since he ended up needing to gently press the boy back into proper position a couple times. Once Satoshi was able to hold it for a full two minutes, Keromatsu moved back in front of him.

_“Okay, the next step is your breathing. How you breathe will affect how relaxed your body is and how calm your mind becomes. Since you’re just beginning, we’ll start with a simple pattern, all through your nose. Breathe in for three seconds, hold for three, and exhale for three. Stick to that pattern even if you feel like you can exhale for longer, since we’re establishing a rhythm.”_

While Satoshi worked on his breathing, Keromatsu continued to monitor his posture until five minutes had passed. “ _Not bad for a first attempt. What were you thinking of while you were breathing?”_

Satoshi blushed a little, but was honest. “I…I was wondering why it’s so hard to keep my back straight and breathe at the same time. And…I was a bit upset that I couldn’t get up and move around.”

Keromatsu smiled. _“It’s perfectly fine to feel that way. You’re normally a very energetic child no doubt. You’ve been hiding away because of your experiences, and thus have lost some of that natural energetic behavior, but now that you’ve talked about it, even a little, you’re going to start healing and recovering that energy. Truthfully, this would be much harder for you if you were at your normal level of enthusiasm, since I doubt you would have held still long enough to find the right position to even sit.”_

Satoshi nodded and giggled a bit self-consciously, acknowledging the truth in that statement before the Water-type continued. _“As for the difficulty, that’s really only because you aren’t used to consciously making yourself do this, especially while sitting. Everything, no matter how simple it seems it should be, is difficult when you first start out. Some things work and others don’t. Sometimes you fail and sometimes you succeed. The important thing is to keep_ trying, _even if you need to take breaks in-between tries. The moment you stop trying, is the moment you truly fail.”_

_That’s what you taught me, taught us all… And it looks like it’s my turn to teach you._

The awe in Satoshi’s eyes was good to see, and also reminded Keromatsu of both Onvern when he was a new-hatched Onbat and Koratta. _I have a feeling she’ll be one of his first Pokemon this time around. She’s a good personality match for him._

_“…Now, we’ll be practicing this a few times a day until you’re ready for the next step. After you have that down we’ll start Moving Meditation and you’ll practice both at least twice a day.”_

“Okay.”

_“Well, let’s get back up to the desk. I’m curious to see the chapters your mother has you reviewing.”_

For the next couple hours, Satoshi and Keromatsu read over the Pokemon grooming chapter of one of the other books, Keromatsu providing a running commentary on the information provided.

_“Now who told this person putting water on a Butterfree’s wings is a good idea? On_ any _Bug-type’s wings for that matter? Sure, they can fly in the rain if need be but not for very long!”_

_“And water on a Sand or Sandpan? Is this author an idiot? You use both a soft fiber brush and a stiff Kentauros hair brush to clean them,_ not _water!”_

_“Hand rubbing the fangs on any Pokemon from the Zubat line is a terrible idea if they don’t have_ absolute _trust in you, and even then they might bite out of affection. Stick with a stiff bristle toothbrush.”_

_“You_ can’t _brush the manes of Ponyta or Gallop, they are made of_ **Fire** _! If it seems like one is letting you brush them it’s because they think you’re an idiot and decided to humor you.”_

_“…Don’t ever read the section on Kamonegi again. I’d rather you keep your innocence as long as possible…”_

“Huh?”

_“Just…_ don’t _. I’ll explain the leek jokes if you need me to when you’re older… Maybe when you hit twenty…”_

_“Trying to polish a Strike’s scythes is just as terrible an idea as the Zubat thing and also very insulting for a Strike. It’s part of their pride to show off how well they keep their blades clean and sharp.”_

_“Poor Koiking, that bad reputation is never going to stop haunting it. You’d think people would respect it a little more considering…what it evolves into.”_

Satoshi looked up from the book at Keromatsu’s pause, a little startled by how forcefully expressionless the Bubble Frog suddenly was. “Keromatsu? Are you okay?”

After a long moment, Keromatsu took a very deep breath and glanced away from the book. _“I…have some bad memories concerning a Gyarados. Gyarados in general are powerful, vicious, and terrifying…but there are some that are worse than what is normal for the breed.”_

Whether he could sense Keromatsu’s pain or not, Satoshi still reacted as Keromatsu had a feeling he would. He scooped Keromatsu into a hug and just held him for a little bit. “We can skip the rest if you want. Besides Gyarados there’re only five other Pokemon left that the book has any grooming information on.”

_“…No, I’m fine. If your mother quizzes you over it then you need to know.”_

The remaining information was gone over quickly, Keromatsu snickering at the entry for Kabigon. _“Really, clean their back first? I wouldn’t have guessed. Assuming, of course, you can get them on their feet first and long enough to clean them. Seriously, who is the author for this and is there a picture? I want to see what kind of idiot was believed about this.”_

Turned out there was a picture at the back of the book. _“…That is a very bright smile. And he looks like one of those would-be divas that spend six hours a day in front of a mirror. And look at his biography, nothing about if he was a trainer himself. I’m willing to bet he was a fraud.”_

Satoshi giggled at the description before blushing as his stomach gave a loud growl. “Um, I think it might be lunchtime.”

_“It does seem like a good time to take a break,”_ Keromatsu agreed. _“Let’s go down and see Foodin. After lunch we’ll try meditating again then review the Typings like your mother wanted.”_

At Satoshi’s invitation, Keromatsu hopped up on Satoshi’s shoulder and the pair went downstairs, finding Foodin already setting the table for three.

_“Oh! I was just about to call you both down. Hungry?”_

“Uh huh.”

_“Yes. Thank you.”_

Once seated, Foodin watched Satoshi quietly eat while questioning Keromatsu telepathically. _::Is he feeling any better? He still seems so quiet…::_

Keromatsu gave a nod but stayed silent, unsure if Satoshi was ready for Foodin to know he had finally broken through his depression a bit.

_::Were you able to start him on whatever you wanted to teach him?::_

Another nod.

_::And he is actually reviewing what Hanako-dono told him to, right?::_

This time Keromatsu nodded but also sent the Psychic-type a look that said he wanted to talk about that later. Foodin nodded her own understanding but before she could say more, Satoshi caught their attention with an outburst.

“I-I’m sorry, Foo!”

Seeing the tears in Satoshi’s eyes, Foodin tilted her head in distressed confusion while Keromatsu hopped over to the boy to hold one of his trembling hands. The Water-type kept his silence though, pretty sure what was about to happen and knowing the boy needed to say it on his own.

“I…I’ve been ignoring you. Avoiding you. And it wasn’t your fault and I was being stupid… And I’ll get better, Keromatsu will help me… And I’m just sorry…I’m sorry I’ve been making you sad…”

_“You weren’t being stupid,”_ Keromatsu murmured softly, but otherwise let Foodin talk.

_“Satoshi-chan, please don’t cry, it’s all right. Of course I forgive you, it isn’t your fault those bullies took things much too far. But I also must apologize, for not trying harder to reach out to you. I was too afraid of upsetting you further to do more than watch over you from a distance, and that hurt you in the long run. So I’m sorry too.”_

The Psychic-type came around the table and hugged the boy, who clung to her a little before scooting back to wipe his tears. “I-I really need to stop crying so much…”

_“Tears are nothing to be ashamed of, especially when you’ve been holding back so much,”_ Foodin insisted gently, brushing back his hair in affection.

_“We care for you, Satoshi, so don’t ever be afraid to cry with us,”_ Keromatsu added, gently squeezing the hand he was still holding.

“O-Okay,” Satoshi sniffled before looking up at Foodin with a wince of realization. “You…know about my Aura…”

_“I do, and it’s a wonderful gift for you to have. I’m ashamed of myself for not noticing it sooner.”_

“…Please don’t tell Kaa-chan… I’m not ready to tell her yet…”

Foodin hesitated but gave in at Satoshi’s pleading eyes. _“Very well. But please tell her soon, Satoshi-chan. She’s so worried about you, and I’m concerned for what measures she might take to try and…_ fix _things.”_

Keromatsu’s gaze went dark at the reminder of exactly what Satoshi’s mother was considering, reaffirming to himself that he wouldn’t let that happen, even if he had to take drastic measures himself. _If I have to I’ll convince Pidgeot to fly us to Rota and we’ll get the reigning monarch to take custody of Satoshi as an Aura Guardian to be. I’d rather not have to resort to that, but I_ will _if I have to._

Foodin saw the darkness in Keromatsu’s expression and nodded to herself in acknowledgement, figuring out that the Bubble Frog knew exactly what was being considered and was unafraid to do whatever necessary to stop it. The Psychic-type knew in that moment that Keromatsu would never leave Satoshi’s side, and was certain the Water-type would break the world to keep the boy safe. It was remarkable considering he’d only known Satoshi for a day –to her knowledge–, and even a little frightening. But she understood. She wouldn’t stop Keromatsu from defending Satoshi, though she did promise herself to keep Hanako from being harmed as much as possible. Neither human deserved to be irrevocably hurt if a falling out was inevitable. Satoshi distracted them both from their thoughts as he answered Foodin’s plea.

“I-I will…when I’m ready…But I…I want to apologize to Butterfree and Koratta first.”

That brought smiles to both Pokemon, Keromatsu explaining, _“I asked them both to come by tomorrow so I could let them know how your studies were coming along. Do you want to see them then?”_

Satoshi wavered for a second before dredging up his courage and nodding. “Yes. I’ve been hurting them too, and I need to tell them I’m sorry as soon as possible.”

_“They’ll be so happy! They’ve missed you so much,”_ Foodin practically sang, unable to help but hug the boy again.

_“I doubt Koratta will ever let you out of her sight again,”_ Keromatsu added with a smile before saying quietly. _“I’m proud of you for finding your courage to face them.”_

Satoshi’s expression lit up at that, and he scooped Keromatsu back up again to snuggle against his keromousse, the Bubble Frog not arguing in the least even as he remembered his earlier thoughts with a rueful smile. _Smothered in hugs for sure._

…TBC…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -So this chapter feels a little filler-y to me, but I decided that this provides enough information on what’s to come that I won’t need to go into long expanses of the itty bitty stuff later. Like when they go over Pokemon care. I’ll probably have a section about cooking but otherwise I can now skim past the rest of that topic since Satoshi will demonstrate his care knowledge once the journey starts.
> 
> \- Mitsuhoney at Okido’s lab- You can’t tell me the man only has Kanto Pokemon at his lab when he regularly chats with his fellow researchers and goes off to conferences all the time. Granted, he doesn’t have a lot of foreign Pokemon yet, but I think he would have a few.
> 
> \- The Bullies- Unfortunately, what I hinted at in this chapter -that the bullies weren’t really dealt with-, is something that happens a lot in RL. At least here I have a plan for them to get their just desserts.
> 
> \- The Preacher- We’ll only see him once or twice. And before anyone complains, I made him an expy of a religious fanatic, not your average, everyday person of Faith. I’m perfectly aware not everyone will shove their religion down the throats of others or cause problems just because someone isn’t and doesn’t want to be part of said religion.
> 
> \- Swimming Bubble- based off of the one in the Manaphy movie. It was a fun concept so I just had to include it.
> 
> \- The Books and Hanako- We all can guess that Satoshi didn’t have a particularly good education by his actions in the show. We also know that Hanako is supportive of her son…except it seems like she did nothing for his education and instead sent him out into the world as very ignorant. That bothered me, so I’m changing things. Hanako instead gives her son some of the things he needs to get him started, but nothing more because she wants him to fail enough at his journey to come home to her. It’s selfish, but she’s also a single mother whose son is her whole world, so this is the only way I can justify her letting Satoshi go barely taught in the OS.
> 
> \- Kingdom of Rota and the Sekiei Conference- Let me assure you, Satoshi will be participating in the Sekiei Conference, but he will be familiar with Rota long before then.
> 
> Japanese to English (In order of appearance)
> 
> Mitsuhoney - Combee  
> Officer Junsa - Officer Jenny  
> Tattu - Horsea  
> Gaburias - Garchomp  
> Platane-hakase - Professor Sycamore  
> Lugia - Lugia  
> Fire - Moltres  
> Thunder - Zapdos  
> Freezer - Articuno  
> Mew - Mew  
> Dedenne - Dedenne  
> Kaa-chan - Mother (more informal, affectionate term)  
> Tou-san - Father (more formal term)  
> Kingdom of Rota - Rota  
> Orange Islands - Orange Islands  
> Sinnoh - Sinnoh  
> Unova - Unova  
> Decolora Islands - Decolore Islands  
> Azoth Kingdom - Azoth Kingdom  
> Alola Islands - Alola Islands  
> Polocks - Pokeblocks  
> Poffins - Poffins  
> Pofflés - Pokepuffs  
> Kabigon - Snorlax  
> Onbat - Noibat  
> Sand - Sandshrew  
> Sandpan - Sandslash  
> Zubat - Zubat  
> Ponyta - Ponyta  
> Gallop - Rapidash  
> Kamonegi - Farfetch’d  
> Strike - Scyther  
> Koiking - Magikarp  
> Queen Eileen - Queen Ilene


	4. Pre-Journey Arc: Childhood Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -As usual, certain points made during the chapter will be discussed in the end notes.
> 
> -Italicized is Thoughts
> 
> -"Italicized" is Pokemon Speech
> 
> -::Italicized:: is Pokemon Telepathy

The rest of the day passed fairly uneventfully, though Keromatsu did enjoy Satoshi’s pouting when they went over Type advantages and disadvantages.

“But Keromatsu, you just said that a lot of Pokemon can learn moves from different Types!”

_“I did, and there is nothing wrong in practice with using Pokemon with Type disadvantage in battle, especially if they have moves that make up for it. But that is in reality where you would know your Pokemon’s strengths and weaknesses, and their ability to endure. That also assumes they have a move set that can stand up to the disadvantage, and that you have a strategy for not only that individual battle, but how it will contribute overall for the remainder of the match.”_

“The remainder…?”

_“Yes. It’s actually pretty unusual for any challenge to be a single one-on-one match. So, you have to plan what Pokemon to use and how to direct them based on the assumption that they may fight multiple times or set up a strategy for your next Pokemon.”_

“…Oh. But, why doesn’t the book…?”

_“I think we’ve well established by now that these books are_ far _from accurate, and the author of this particular book was an_ idiot _. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s out of date.”_

“But…this one is only three years old…”

_“…….How in the world was he allowed to publish this? Did he blind the publisher with his smile or something?”_

“It _is_ a bright smile…Isn’t there a Pokemon move that blinds?”

_“You’re thinking of the move Flash, and that’s a pretty good equivalent. Doesn’t excuse the fact that this waste of paper was published. It’s even missing three of the types!”_

It was early evening, after the pair had practiced Stationary Meditation again, that Foodin called up that Hanako was returning home. Much to Satoshi’s sadness, Keromatsu insisted he stay outside for dinner and to sleep.

_“I’ll be all right, Satoshi. It isn’t a good idea for me to be inside the house when your mother could walk in and see me. After you’re ready to tell her about your Aura, we can ask if I can stay inside, but for now it’s better if I don’t.”_

Satoshi reluctantly agreed, to which Keromatsu reminded him that he would be right outside his window in the tree if the boy needed him. That cheered him up a little, enough to go down to dinner when his mother called for him. Keromatsu met Foodin at the front porch to collect his own dinner, and out of curiosity situated himself under the kitchen window to eat and listen to Satoshi and his mother talk.

“Did you reread the grooming chapter?”

“Yeah…and I don’t think the author was a trainer.”

“Oh?”

“He thinks you can brush the manes on a Ponyta or Gallop. They’re made of fire, you can’t brush them.”

“…I must have missed that one…I’m sorry, Satoshi-chan, I’ll go back over that chapter myself and write out any corrections so you can study them properly.”

“Okay… Kaa-chan?”

“Hm?”

“How come those books are missing three Types?”

Keromatsu nearly choked on his food. He really hoped Satoshi had an explanation for how he knew about the missing Types, because that was a question that could lead to the boy revealing his abilities before he was ready. _Careful Satoshi…._

“…What do you mean, sweetie?”

“…One of the matches I watched on TV…some of the Pokemon used moves that the announcer called Steel-type, Dark-type, and Fairy-type… But the books don’t mention those at all.”

“………”

“Kaa-chan?”

“That…isn’t very important right now, sweetie. Those are very rare, so you don’t need to study them right now.”

Keromatsu’s eyes narrowed at that. _Excuse me? They aren’t_ that _rare. Maybe in Kanto naturally, but plenty of trainers pass through Kanto that have Pokemon with those Types, or at least use moves with those Types._

“But I _do_ need to know them. I’ll face trainers that use them, and I’ll probably run into them outside of Kanto t––“

“That’s much further in the future than you need to be thinking about right now, Satoshi. For now, it’s enough you know they exist, leave it at that.”

The Bubble Frog lowly growled as she interrupted her son, borderline snapping at him. _Her aversion to him leaving certainly isn’t imagined. But then what changed? Clearly she was supportive of Satoshi once he actually started on his journey if his stories are any indication… Or did she just resign herself once he left?_

“…I’ll leave it alone if I can get a book about the other regions.”

“Excuse me?” Keromatsu was just as surprised as Hanako to hear the rebuttal, though it was more because of the determination in the boy’s voice. It was so much like Satoshi’s older self that the Water-type nearly leapt up to the windowsill to double check that Satoshi was still a child.

“I’m going to face trainers from other regions even here in Kanto, especially if I make it to the Sekiei Conference. I’ll look like an idiot if I don’t at least know the names and some information about those places. If you don’t want me to learn about Types than I have to learn something else.”

Hanako was quiet for a long time, long enough that Keromatsu began to worry she might lash out at Satoshi and prepared to jump into the room in his defense if need be. But finally the woman breathed a heavy sigh and sounded defeated.

“I’ll see if I can find a general guide about the other regions… But, what brought this on, Satoshi-chan? You’ve been…so reclusive and sad for months now, and suddenly you’re…well, determined I guess is the word I’m looking for.”

“…I found something important, something I don’t want to let go of… I…don’t know how to describe it, but it helped me not feel scared. But I need to get better, stronger, if I want to keep what I found. I think the best way to do that is to learn everything I should to be a good trainer.”

Keromatsu had to smile to himself at the words, for a moment hearing the voice of future Satoshi in his mind. ~”We’re going to get much, _much_ stronger!! _Let’s go_ , Gekkouga!”~

_We_ will _get stronger, Satoshi. I promise._

“…That doesn’t tell me much, but I’m glad you’re feeling better, sweetie.”

Conversation was sparse after that, and once the humans were done eating they went through a verbal quiz on Satoshi’s lessons. As that drew to a close, Keromatsu returned to his tree and waited patiently on his claimed branch until Satoshi was alone in his room and opening the window. Crawling along the branch, Keromatsu commented, _“I’m a little surprised you confronted your mother like that.”_

Satoshi winced a little, looking down with some shame. “I…didn’t actually mean to. I got upset that she keeps saying she’s happy I want to be trainer but she hasn’t been giving me everything I need to learn. I couldn’t stop myself from talking back at her.”

_“I didn’t say it was a bad thing, Satoshi.”_ That had the child looking back up in surprise. _“I agree that if she’s going to let you study to be a trainer at all, then she should support you enough to give you all the tools you need, primarily knowledge. Hopefully your growing determination and insistence will convince her to give you access to better books.”_

Keromatsu leapt over to the window and motioned to where Satoshi’s pillow still sat on the floor. _“But we’ll think more about that later. Let’s try meditating one more time, then it’s off to bed.”_

Fifteen minutes later, Keromatsu was settling down against the tree trunk to sleep, thinking of the coming reunion tomorrow. _Hopefully Koratta and Butterfree can help me convince Satoshi to tell his mother sooner rather than later. It won’t be long before he won’t be able to explain away how he knows things that definitely aren’t covered in his current books, and that will lead to him being able to talk to me and Pokemon in general. Not the best way for her to find out about her son’s abilities, that’s for sure._

His dreams came and went, but for the first time in weeks Keromatsu didn’t cry in his sleep. He was home now, at Satoshi’s side, and while the longing for those times was still there his contentment for the moment was stronger.

Morning was heralded by Koratta dropping down onto Keromatsu’s branch from Pidgeot’s back, the large bird landing at the base of the tree while Butterfree fluttered up from near the ground to peek in Satoshi’s window again. The Bubble Frog mumbled with half-hearted annoyance at the abrupt awakening, but quickly shook away his lingering sleepiness as Koratta looked at him with pleading eyes.

_“Butterfree told me we might get to talk to Satoshi-chan today. Is it true?”_

Keromatsu nodded, his voice soothing. _“Yes. In fact, Satoshi said himself that he wants to talk to you both again, though we need to wait until his mother leaves for work today. She doesn’t know about his Aura abilities, and he isn’t ready to tell her yet, so we can’t risk her seeing him talking to us.”_

Butterfree and Pidgeot voiced their understanding, but Koratta was focused more on his first response, crying in relief. _“He missed us…He missed us too…”_

A little awkwardly, since he wasn’t as familiar with the purple Pokemon as his family, Keromatsu reached out and pet her head soothingly, trying to comfort her. _“Of course he missed you. He was afraid of his own abilities, not you.”_

Butterfree fluttered over, settling beside Koratta to hug her. _“It’s all right, Koratta. We’ll see him soon, and the two…three of you will be running around playing together before you know it.”_

Keromatsu appreciated the correction as the older Pokemon glanced at him, and nodded his agreement. _“Granted, Satoshi has a lot he needs to learn before he receives his trainer’s license, but every child needs some time to play.”_

_Even I found time to relax and enjoy myself during my first ‘childhood’._

_“Is there anything we can do to assist in the Aura child’s studies, Keromatsu?”_ Pidgeot asked, picking up on some of the reasoning for Keromatsu’s word choice.

_“At the moment, Satoshi will be focusing on meditation for his Aura, and learning about the world in general,”_ Keromatsu began. _“But after that we need to go over things like Pokemon care, field medicine and cooking knowledge, and training that doesn’t focus on specific moves.”_

That caught Butterfree’s attention. _“Oh, I can help with the field knowledge. Identifying flora and fauna, and other natural materials is something I’m quite adept at. I can also help teach him about Egg care for if he runs into any on his journey.”_

Keromatsu nodded his agreement, though a wistful smile temporarily crossed his face as he recalled the older Satoshi’s interaction with both human children and the newly hatched Onbat. _“That would be much appreciated.”_

_“I have some varied knowledge myself, and I can assist in the training,”_ Pidgeot offered, Keromatsu thanking him for the assistance.

_“Then I think we have everything well covered. Even Koratta can help with the care lessons and the training.”_

_“Really?”_ Koratta questioned with both hope and surprise.

“I’d like that.”

All four Pokemon startled at the quiet voice, turning to see Satoshi sitting in his window, eyes glowing with Aura as he gave them a shaky smile. “Good morning…”

_“S…Satoshi-chan?”_ Koratta questioned, whiskers trembling as she inched forward a little bit with anticipation.

“Hi, Koratta… I’m sorry I took so long to talk to you again,” Satoshi apologized, caramel eyes tearing up with shame.

With a low keening sound Koratta launched forward and latched on to the boy’s chest, claws gripping his pajama top and tail trying to curl around his body as she cried against his neck. _“I-It’s okay, I don’t c-care, just don’t run away again!”_

While Satoshi snuggled against the little Pokemon, Keromatsu forced himself to relax, having nearly attacked the purple rat when she leapt at his trainer. It was an automatic response, a part of the Bubble Frog still raw from the losses he suffered that he couldn’t stop himself from tensing at any potential threat, no matter how unlikely. He knew he would need to work on that.

_I can’t fly off the handle every time someone wants to come near Satoshi with any kind of enthusiasm. We can’t prepare for the future alone, but we’ll never build up our team if I attack everyone who wants to hug him._

His reactions didn’t go unnoticed as Pidgeot glanced over at him and nodded, approving of his devotion to Satoshi’s safety and his restraint. The powerful bird didn’t question how Keromatsu already seemed to care for the boy enough to defend him from all possible threats, as it seemed obvious to him that the two were bound in their souls. Which was good as far as he was concerned; every Aura Guardian needed a strong protector and partner, and clearly Keromatsu was an excellent fit for the role considering the strides he had made with only a single full day with the boy.

Butterfree however was oblivious as he fluttered over to the window and hummed soothingly. _“It’s all right, Koratta. We won’t let something like this happen again.”_ He then addressed Satoshi with a regretful tone. _“Satoshi-chan, I can’t say how sorry I am that I didn’t realize those…_ brats’ _name-calling had affected you so badly. I knew you were upset about the bullying, but I hadn’t taken their words into account, and you suffered for it. You have_ never _been and_ will never _be a demon. I’m sorry it took me so long to say that.”_

“It’s okay, Butterfree. I should have talked to you about it instead of hiding away,” Satoshi refuted, reaching to gently pet between the winged-Pokemon’s antennae. “And…Keromatsu explained what a demon actually is, so I know they were wrong. I feel a lot better thanks to him.”

Butterfree trilled softly at that. _“I’m glad for that. Thank you, Keromatsu, for helping him back to us.”_

_“No thanks are necessary, but you’re welcome,”_ Keromatsu replied, a smile on his face. _“Now, while we have some time before his mother calls him for breakfast, shall we finish discussing his training?”_

Agreements were murmured out, even from Koratta who seemed determined to permanently latch herself to the boy. Butterfree began expanding on what precisely he wanted to teach Satoshi, planning trips into the reservation for identifying edible and medicinal plants, discussions about the differences between fruit and Berries, recognizing good raw material for crafting purposes, and Egg care. Pidgeot offered knowledge in tracking and forming non-lethal traps for protection while resting, in addition to volunteering his help in various exercises and training. Koratta volunteered to help with everything, even his book studying if he was willing to read out loud since she didn’t understand human writing. That Keromatsu offered to teach her, as well as restating that he would take the lead in Satoshi’s Aura training, book studies, and assisting with everything else.

_“But before all of this, we need his mother to be aware of the situation and ideally have her consent to take him out into the reservation,”_ Pidgeot reminded as the discussion wound down.

Satoshi looked a little apprehensive, but did not try to push the subject off. “I…I’m a little scared of how she’ll react. She’s…not completely happy that I want to go on a Pokemon journey.”

Pidgeot and Butterfree were confused by that while Koratta was outright shocked and voiced it, _“But…you said you’ve wanted to be a trainer for a long time and she’s letting you study to be one! Why wouldn’t she be happy?”_

Keromatsu was the one to answer. _“We’re not completely sure of the reason, though Satoshi suspects it has something to do with whoever his father is. He apparently left on a Pokemon journey either before Satoshi was born or before he was capable of remembering him, and has never come back.”_

_“Ah, reluctance to let her nestling go,”_ Pidgeot mused with clarity. _“Understandable, but will ultimately cause more harm than good. The sooner we speak to her and make her aware of his needs, the easier it will be to convince her to let him go.”_

_“But not before Satoshi is ready,”_ Keromatsu interjected, seeing the way Satoshi shrunk in on himself at the pressing. _“Let’s talk to Foodin later today about a good way and time to approach her, and give Satoshi time to prepare to talk to her.”_

Though still apprehensive, Satoshi sent the Bubble Frog a look of deep gratitude, prompting Keromatsu to leap over to the windowsill beside Butterfree and set a comforting hand against the boy’s arm. _“It will be okay, Satoshi. I…We won’t make you do this alone, and not before you know what to say.”_

Satoshi freed a hand from holding Koratta to reach over and pet Keromatsu at the reassurance, Keromatsu automatically leaning into the touch when his cheek was brushed against and faintly blushing in embarrassment. His species as a whole possessed semi-sensitive cheeks because of the close positioning of both their hearing and scent glands; which meant that it was a favorite place to be pet as it relaxed the hearing glands and stimulated the scent glands. Keromatsu had always been a little mortified by this, since it was the easiest way to turn him into a relaxed pile of keromousse fluff and Pikachu and the other Pokemon would tease him good-naturedly whenever that was exploited by Eureka or even Satoshi himself. And judging by the mischievous clarity that lit up Satoshi’s eyes now, Keromatsu just knew the boy would use it to his advantage this time around too. Thankfully, he said nothing for the moment and withdrew his hand with a warm smile.

“Thank you Keroma–”

“Satoshi-chan! Breakfast is ready!”

Everyone startled at the call through the house, sharing a laugh at the collective jump as Satoshi let Koratta down on the windowsill on Butterfree’s other side. “Coming, Kaa-chan! I’ll be back in a little bit. Should I bring up some food for you all?”

_“Foodin will likely take care of us, don’t worry,”_ Butterfree soothed, lightly pushing against Satoshi’s torso. _“Now don’t keep your mother waiting.”_

Acknowledging Butterfree with a hum and a nod, Satoshi left the room and the trio jumped down to land by Pidgeot on the ground. As Butterfree predicted, Foodin came out while the humans were eating and provided breakfast for the group, allowing them to catch the Psychic-type up with Satoshi’s progress for the morning.

The relief the Psychic-type exuded may as well have been a solid weight. _“I can’t thank you enough, Keromatsu. These past months have been so miserable since Satoshi-chan fell into depression, but it’s good to know things will look up now. I don’t think I’ve been so stressed since the day Okido-hakase introduced me to Hanako-dono.”_

_“Really?”_ Keromatsu and Koratta asked in curiosity, neither having any idea what the older Pokemon’s origins were, and reminding Keromatsu that there were many things about Satoshi’s early life and those around him the Bubble Frog had no information about.

Foodin laughed, idly flipping one of her spoons in the air. _“I was a young Casey back then, and my kind’s baby stage is renown for their nervousness. Hanako-dono was a junior research assistant to Okido-hakase at the time, and he was concerned about sending her out on solo assignments when her partner, a Garagara that was getting on in years, was looking into settling down. He wanted a Pokemon to accompany her that could get her to safety in a moments notice. Well, needless to say such responsibility was daunting.”_

_“I can imagine so,”_ Butterfree said with a soft laugh.

The Psychic-type chuckled again. _“But Hanako-dono was very understanding of my nervousness. She delayed her assignment by two weeks just so we could practice having me teleport her around, so I wouldn’t worry about my reaction time or accidentally leaving her behind. The assignment went so well that she and I have been unofficial partners since. When I was ready to retire from field work about four years ago, I asked to stay here with Hanako-dono to keep her company.”_ Foodin’s expression turned a little sad. _“It may not seem like it, but being a single mother has been very lonely for Hanako-dono.”_

While the other three nodded along with the story, Koratta asking about what sort of assignments the pair had done, Keromatsu considered the information. _Foodin has known Satoshi’s mother for a long time. Maybe she can shed some light on her behavior._

Waiting until Foodin finished her retelling of her favorite assignment –which apparently ended in a water war with some young Zenigame–, Keromatsu asked seriously. _“Foodin, I’m sorry if this sounds offensive, but Satoshi and I suspect his mother is…stunting his education because she doesn’t want him to travel. Is there any truth to that, or can you think of why she might do so?”_

Foodin went silent with a pensive expression, thinking the inquiry over for a long moment before she gave a heavy sigh. _“As I said before, being a single mother has been very lonely for Hanako-dono, but that also means that Satoshi-chan is her whole world. She is…reluctant…to let him go into the world, even more so with his recent depression…”_

The Psychic-type trailed off, and Keromatsu prompted when it seemed like she wouldn’t continue. _“Satoshi thinks it has something to do with his father.”_

Foodin looked a cross between confused and _irritated_ at that theory. _“Why would_ he _matter? The…_ coward _ran away rather than take responsibility for his family. Satoshi-chan is_ nothing _like him, so it wouldn’t make sense for Hanako-dono to let that color her behavior.”_

_“Then you know who his father is?”_

The Psychic-type shook her head, huffing as she crossed her arms. _“I never met the man, and somehow I’ve always missed hearing his name, but Hanako-dono talked about him often enough…up until she found out she was going to have Satoshi-chan. I know the man went on a Pokemon journey,_ claiming _he would make a good life for them, but the last time she heard from him was when he made it to Tokiwa City after four days. Since then,_ nothing _, and no one’s even positive where he went from Tokiwa. Hanako-dono is certain he’s still alive, though I think he’d be better off dead since he can’t be bothered to check on his family even if he hasn’t had a successful journey.”_ She scowled deeply. _“Frankly, if I ever meet the man, I’m liable to blast him with a few rounds of Psyshock.”_

Keromatsu shared Foodin’s sentiment, making a mental note to show the man the error of his ways himself if they ever met, but that didn’t lessen his disappointment towards Hanako. Assuming the son she has raised –who Keromatsu knew loved her very much– would abandon her just because he wants to be a Pokemon trainer and thus inhibiting his education was as cowardly as what the boy’s father had done. _“…I understand her fear, then, but that doesn’t excuse her actions. Potentially crushing her son’s dreams from loneliness is not acceptable.”_

Foodin was silent a long moment as if trying to find a rebuttal, but as the silence dragged on, she sighed. _“You…are correct that it isn’t right, and it isn’t healthy for either of them. I’m not sure what to do about it though, aside from your plans to improve Satoshi-chan’s education…”_

_“She’ll have no choice but to change her ways once she knows about the Aura child’s abilities,”_ Pidgeot interjected with a pointed look. _“He_ cannot _go untrained, which means he will need to leave Kanto to learn more about his gifts. That isn’t something she can prevent without serious consequences for her child.”_

_“I agree she needs to know, I’m just not sure that will change her mind,”_ Foodin explained. _“Even if Satoshi-chan chooses to watch over strictly Kanto, that doesn’t mean he would be home often, which is part of the problem.”_

_“I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves,”_ Butterfree interrupted as well. _“One hurdle at a time, please. When and how should we inform his mother about his abilities?”_

_“As soon as possible,”_ Pidgeot answered, Foodin nodding a little reluctantly.

_“At this point, it will be a shock for Hanako-dono even if we wait longer. Satoshi-chan has…at least known he had abilities for some time and hid it, and that_ will _hurt her. We should all be present, as Satoshi-chan and I can translate for the four of you, and showing he has support will hopefully help her accept it a bit better,”_ the Psychic-type started. _“As for when, Hanako-dono takes two days off every week, and tomorrow is the first. If that’s too soon then Friday will be our next chance.”_

_“Wouldn’t it be better to tell her when she comes back from work? So she can sleep on it?”_ Koratta asked in curiosity.

_“She might wave it off as a dream, which could lead to a breakdown the next day if it’s reaffirmed with our presence,”_ Keromatsu replied, thinking. _“And telling her with work the next day is bad as she could refuse to think about it by clinging to routine, or become unacceptably distracted in an environment that handles knives and heat sources which is dangerous… We’ll talk to Satoshi, see if tomorrow is too soon. If it is, we can plan for Friday, but it’s more important that Satoshi choose which one.”_

That received nods from his fellow Pokemon and allowed Keromatsu to relax a little. Agreement reached, Foodin returned inside and the other four took cover on Satoshi’s side of the house until they heard Hanako leave. At Satoshi’s invitation, all four –technically– wild Pokemon came into his room through the window, Pidgeot easily slipping through regardless of his size much to Satoshi’s awe. Foodin came in as everyone settled comfortably, passing around water bowls, Keromatsu’s water skein –which she had slipped from the Bubble Frog to fill for him, much to Keromatsu’s chagrin–, and a glass of juice for Satoshi before taking up residence on Satoshi’s bed.

Keromatsu, from his perch on Satoshi’s shoulder as Koratta had settled on the boy’s lap, opened the discussion. _“Satoshi, we’ve talked and decided that we should tell your mother on one of her days off from work. Foodin informed us that tomorrow is her soonest day off with Friday as the next. Do you feel either one is an acceptable time to confront her?”_

Satoshi nibbled on his bottom lip nervously, silent for a long moment as he fiddled with his glass of juice. Eventually, Keromatsu nuzzled against Satoshi’s cheek to make him look at him and held his gaze as he said reassuringly. _“You won’t be alone, just remember that. But the sooner she knows, the sooner it will be over with, and we can move to the more intensive parts of your studies… And you’ll feel worse about it the longer you put it off.”_

Another long moment passed before Satoshi took a deep breath and visibly braced himself, but Keromatsu smiled to see the embers of courage in his eyes. “…Tomorrow. We’ll…tell her tomorrow.”

Pidgeot and Foodin nodded their agreement, as did Koratta who looked a little unsure, but Butterfree asked softly, _“Are you sure, Satoshi-chan? That’s probably sooner than you would have preferred…”_

“…Keromatsu’s right,” the boy replied, nuzzling against the Bubble Frog in question. “The longer I put it off, the more nervous I’ll get… And I don’t know how long we’ll be able to hide that he–that all of you are helping me study to be a Pokemon trainer. I think she’ll be upset if we hide that for too long.”

_True, but what will upset her more? The fact that he is studying to be a trainer outside of the bounds she’s set, or that he’s learning with the help of wild Pokemon_ , Keromatsu wondered as Butterfree nodded in acceptance.

_“Well, since we’ve settled that, shall we start on your lessons for today? Don’t forget Hanako-dono said you’ll be practicing battle scenarios again tonight,”_ Foodin broke in, a smile on her face as Satoshi sighed.

_“First things first. Ten minutes of stationary meditation,”_ Keromatsu rebutted, hopping over to the desk as Satoshi got up to fetch his pillow.

Koratta had also hopped off Satoshi when he got up, asking about meditation and its uses, with Pidgeot, Butterfree, and Foodin telling her about it. As Satoshi got comfortable Keromatsu went over to him and suggested quietly. _“Think about how you want to tell your mother about your abilities and think only of positive scenarios, let me think about the negative ones. Clear everything else out, okay? If you start to get worried, think of things that make you happy so you stay relaxed.”_

Satoshi nodded in understanding before scooping Keromatsu into a hug and whispering, “Thank you, for everything you’re doing for me…I don’t know what I would be doing if you weren’t here.”

_Considering your mother resorted to having your memories removed, I think we’re better off not knowing_ , Keromatsu thought grimly but hugged Satoshi back tightly. _“You don’t need to thank me, Satoshi. We’re family now, just like every Pokemon you catch will someday be. And families are meant to take care of each other.”_

The hug tightened for a brief moment as Satoshi buried his face in fluffy keromousse before the boy finally let him go, eyes shining with unshed tears and a warm smile on his face.

Meditation went on for about twenty minutes since Koratta wanted to try and Satoshi needed some assistance re-finding the right position for his spine to be straight. After that the hours before lunch were spent going over Types again and coming up with battle scenarios, for now including Steel, Dark, and Fairy-types so Satoshi could become more familiar with them. Foodin, of course, excused herself in order to make lunch, afterwards rejoining them in another meditation session before heading off to do her chores. After meditation, Satoshi gave them a brief summary of what he knew concerning Kanto, mostly rules, regulations, and history. Keromatsu was irked that the Sekiei League restricted battles to one-on-one, making Double and Triple battles technically illegal, and he made sure to complain about it.

_“Double and Triple Battles are perfectly common outside of Kanto so why in the world would they make it illegal? They’re excellent tests of a trainer’s ability to combine the skills of their Pokemon and improve their multitasking prowess. Besides, making it a habit to only have one Pokemon out to battle at a time can place a trainer in danger if they encounter large mobs of Pokemon, or other trainers that choose to gang up on those they think are weaker. Satoshi, make a note that as soon as we’re able we’ll be regularly practicing Double and Triple Battles, even if we can’t have any official ones until we leave Kanto.”_

Some time was spent going over Kanto laws as well as studying a textbook map of the region before another break was taken for meditation. After that, it was back to battle scenarios but minus the three additional Types so Satoshi’s mother wouldn’t get suspicious. Once Hanako returned home near dinner time, all of the Pokemon slipped back out the window with Pidgeot and Butterfree bidding Satoshi goodnight. Before Pidgeot could leave Keromatsu requested a flight up to the roof to discuss something with him. So, while Koratta made herself comfortable in the tree, having already declared she was staying the night, the remaining male Pokemon went up to the roof for some privacy, where Keromatsu leveled a serious look at the older Pokemon.

_“We both know there’s every possibility that tomorrow could go badly.”_

_“Ah, you wish to discuss a plan in case she rejects the Aura child,”_ Pidgeot surmised just as seriously. _“I am not surprised. Both humans and Pokemon are guilty of being set off by what they don’t understand or cannot accept, and his mother is no different. What do you have in mind?”_

_“I’m aware that because of Satoshi’s depression, his mother has been considering having Foodin remove any memories that have been causing the depression. Since it directly relates to his Aura abilities, he could very well lose all knowledge of them in her attempts to…_ fix _…him,”_ Keromatsu explained, eyes blazing darkly to convey his feelings about that. _“That_ can’t _happen. So I’ve decided, if she reacts badly and so much as hints at wiping his memories, then I need to get Satoshi to the Kingdom of Rota. They’re the last known experts on Aura, and the reigning monarch has the authority to take custody of Satoshi as an Aura Guardian-to-be if necessary.”_

_“I see. We could take him straight to the human who guards the reservation, Okido. I understand he possesses contacts around the world and could contact Rota.”_

Keromatsu shook his head. _“I’ve been told he’s a friend of the family and Hanako has known him nearly her whole life. I’m concerned she could convince him to help her rather than do what’s best for Satoshi. No, I was wondering how far you would be willing to fly us toward Rota, especially since you have a flock to lead. I have no qualms about bartering with other wild Pokemon to get the rest of the way, but I need to know that Satoshi and I can leave immediately and get some distance if Hanako reacts poorly.”_

The large bird considered quietly for a long moment before dipping his head in agreement. _“My mate is well capable of leading the flock in my stead for a time. I can take you straight to Rota if it becomes necessary.”_

The Bubble Frog released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. _“Thank you. I can’t describe how much that means to me.”_

_“I meant what I said when we met, the sooner the Aura child is trained, the better for us all,”_ Pidgeot replied solemnly before his eyes glinted with approval. _“And you have more than proven you are the one best qualified to see him reach his potential. You will be an excellent partner when he comes into his own as an Aura Guardian.”_

Keromatsu flushed a little at the praise and tried to turn it aside. _“I’m not certain about that, after all I can’t use Aura myself…”_ But his eyes went steely with determination. _“But I won’t leave him. I’m not sure about_ partner _, but he_ is _family and I will take care of him.” I refuse to lose him a second time…_

A smile was clear on Pidgeot’s beak at the reply. _“Do not sell yourself short, Keromatsu, I don’t believe there is any rule that a partner must be able to use Aura as well. If the Aura child’s behavior towards you is any indication, he has already chosen you as his partner.”_

That sent an odd shiver of worry up Keromatsu’s spine, but he couldn’t figure out why. Pushing it aside, Keromatsu gave a noncommittal nod to the older Pokemon. _It’s not my place to change his views, especially since he doesn’t know I’m from the future and that Pikachu is going to be Satoshi’s partner. “I suppose I can only take your word for it. Tomorrow?”_

_“Tomorrow. I will inform my flock of my possible absence tonight. Sleep well.”_

_“And you.”_

Keromatsu watched the bird take flight and soar out toward the edge of town before returning to the tree, where Koratta asked the expected question. _“What did you want to talk to Pidgeot about?”_

_“A plan, in case the talk with Satoshi’s mother doesn’t end well,”_ Keromatsu replied, waving off her automatic denial. _“It’s just for a worst case scenario, Koratta. It never hurts to be prepared.”_

_“O-Oh. Do you really think she’d…reject him? Or hurt him?”_

_She tries to hurt him and I_ **won’t** _be responsible for my reaction… “I don’t want to think so. But you can never fully predict how someone will react to having their reality turned upside-down.”_

_“Right… So, what_ is _your plan?”_

_“Pidgeot will fly us to the Kingdom of Rota, out in the mountains between Kanto and Johto, and we’ll ask the reigning monarch to take Satoshi in.”_

Koratta’s jaw dropped a little. _“That’s…really far.”_

Keromatsu shrugged. _“It’s closer than Kalos, where I came from. Doing this, it’s less likely that Satoshi will just be taken back to Hanako since they’ll understand his situation.”_

_“…Can I come too, if you do have to go?”_

The Water-type nodded, having already guessed she would ask. _“Of course, and Satoshi will be glad to have you along.”_

_“Thank you.”_

The pair sat in companionable silence for a bit, hopping down from the tree when Foodin came out with dinner for them and listening beneath the kitchen window to Satoshi and his mother.

“…Kaa-chan?”

“Hm?”

“There’s…something I want to show you in the morning, so…please wait to make breakfast.”

“…Okay, if you want sweetie. But, why do you want to wait until morning?”

“Because it’s really important that I get it right the first time and I want a little more time to think about it.”

There was a soft laugh at that. “All right then, if that’s what you want. Now, ready to try some battle scenarios?”

“Yeah!”

Keromatsu listened to the verbal practice for the next hour while Koratta slowly went through her meal, the Water-type smiling as Satoshi was careful to pick all Type Advantages with the exception of the last one, where he picked Zenigame against his mother’s Fushigidane.

“Satoshi-chan, you were doing so well until then.”

“But Kaa-chan, it works because of Zenigame’s defenses! It’s shell makes it hard for other Pokemon to do a lot of damage even with Type Advantage! Even Okido-hakase said that in his program about the Starters!”

“…All right, I’ll let you have that one since you’re thinking with strategy. That’s much better than last time, Satoshi-chan.”

“Hehe…”

It wasn’t long after that that Satoshi was sent up to bed, Koratta and Keromatsu returning to the tree so they could bid the boy goodnight. Hopping through the window, Koratta snuggled in for a good hug while Keromatsu gave Satoshi a pep talk.

_“Don’t let yourself worry about tomorrow. Just remember we’ll all be with you, and when it comes down to it your mother loves you.”_

“…But what if she…doesn’t like that I have Aura?”

Keromatsu took a deep breath before replying honestly. _“If she doesn’t take it well, Pidgeot has agreed to take us straight to Rota. I know it will hurt if we have to do that, but that’s only a last resort.”_

Satoshi flinched at the response, and Keromatsu hated himself at little for it, but the boy did nod his understanding. Quickly hopping up to the boy’s shoulder, Keromatsu nuzzled his cheek and said firmly. _“I mean it, Satoshi. Only as a last resort. We won’t go that route if it isn’t necessary.”_

The boy relaxed under the comfort, nuzzling back. “Okay. Meditation?”

_“Yes, once more before bed.”_

Later that night, after Koratta had fallen asleep on a higher branch and the moon was high in the sky, Keromatsu finally let his own concerns about the next day go and drifted to sleep, hoping everything would work out just fine.

~Dream~

“W-What’s going on?!”

The sound of Satoshi’s voice stirred him, but when the Water-type tried to sit up he realized he couldn’t move, that his limbs were stretched out and restrained. Squinting open his eyes, shock ran through his system as he saw Satoshi and their whole team captured and floating at the top of Prism Tower. Satoshi was pulling at the strange orb-manacles without success and Gekkouga gave it a try himself, realizing that whatever these things were he could not break them. The boy clearly heard his faint sounds of struggle as he looked down toward him, caramel eyes alight with worry and frustration.

“Gekkouga!” The boy then glanced around and took in the sight of the others, just as bound and struggling back into consciousness. “Everyone, are you all right?!”

“Greetings, Satoshi-kun!”

The voice was only faintly familiar, and both he and Satoshi looked at the lower level to see Alan – _that traitor_ – and Fleur-de-lis standing below. Gekkouga instantly hated the look the ginger-haired man was giving them, giving _Satoshi_ , and yanked harder on his binds in a desire to slap it off the man’s face with Aerial Ace. It was a mix of condescension and desire that made Gekkouga’s skin crawl, and he didn’t want that look directed at anyone in his family.

“Fleur-de-lis…Alan! What is this?! Let us go!”

“I _am_ sorry for my lack of hospitality, but I can’t release you.”

_The hell you can’t!_ Gekkouga growled mentally, changing how he was wiggling in hopes of finding some way of at least loosening the manacles. No such luck.

A sharp gasp from Satoshi attracted the Shinobi Frog’s attention, and he looked the direction his trainer did, having to tilt his head back to do so. The ominous red and black serpentine Pokemon they saw not too far away sent a shudder of foreboding through Gekkouga, its power wafting visibly off it like crimson smog. _What did this man do to it?_

“Zygarde… Alan, what is going on?!”

Gekkouga turned his attention away from the corrupted Legendary, instead glaring down toward Alan, who couldn’t even look their direction. _You_ coward _–! Did you help do this?! Why?!_

“I’m going to use your Kizuna Genshou for the sake of the world I am making, Satoshi-kun.”

_Wait, what–?_

Gekkouga looked toward Fleur-de-lis in confusion, blinking as the world seemed to distort around the man and his mind swimming as memories beyond that moment returned to his consciousness. _That…isn’t what he said next._ The Water-type didn’t have much time to think before those strange bug-like machines flew up until they were level with Satoshi…and neither one pointed down toward Gekkouga.

Instead of fiery red energy, bright pink-purple energy shot at the boy, and instead of the strained cries of pain Gekkouga had expected, remembered, he let out a high _scream_ that made the Water-type’s heart lurch with horror.

“Stop! Stop! Stopit _stopit **stopit**_!!”

_“No!”_ Gekkouga ripped his gaze back toward Fleur-de-lis, intent on _demandingbegging_ him to stop, only to be thrown for a loop to see Satoshi’s mother in that monster’s place. _“W-What is–“_

“I’ll **_break_** that bond to keep him,” the shade of Hanako said darkly, becoming surrounded by the same crimson power the Blue Core had been corrupted by.

_“I’m so,_ so _sorry, Satoshi-chan. Keromatsu.”_

His attention turning back toward his screaming trainer, the Water-type was further confused to see Foodin floating in front of the younger Satoshi, hands and spoons pulsing with the pink-purple light of Psychic-type energy. Confusion turned back to fear as Satoshi began thrashing wildly, crying as he tried to fight off whatever was being done to him. And beside him, each member of their team was fading out into a white mist…except one was missing entirely.

_Where did Pikachu go?_

“It hurts, stop, _please_ –!!”

Snapping his attention back to Satoshi, the Water-type unconsciously reached for their bond, wanting nothing more than to save his trainer as he shrieked, _“I’m right here, Satoshi! **FIGHT IT**!”_

Water erupted around him in that familiar veil, widening to encompass the boy as well, as the Shinobi Frog felt his restraints explode. Then he was falling, falling away as Satoshi’s manacles exploded as well and he felt an impact––

~End Nightmare~

_“Oof!!”_

Air rapidly left Keromatsu as he hit the ground back first, dizzy for a long moment as he tried to center himself in reality. Once he was breathing normally again and his sight stopped swimming, Keromatsu was able to take in the early dawn sky and the beads of water clinging to the leaves that had been concealing him in the tree. Sitting up on the damp grass, Keromatsu looked around the peaceful yard and sighed.

_“Just a nightmare…”_

_“Keromatsu…?”_

He glanced toward the side where Koratta was coming toward him from the corner that would lead to the front of the house, acknowledging that her expression was concerned.

_“Hey, I thought I heard you yell. Have a bad dream?”_

_“…It certainly wasn’t pleasant, but I’ll be fine…”_

_“…Okay. Foodin is up, said she can make a swimming bubble for you if you like.”_

_“I think I do need a swim. Thank you, Koratta.”_

She hummed her acknowledgement seeming oddly distracted by the wet grass where he’d fallen. Shrugging it away, Keromatsu hopped around the house as he idly wondered why he felt dehydrated as he did his best to forget his nightmare.

Later, after his swim and once Satoshi was up, dressed, and fresh from a meditation session, Pidgeot and Butterfree arrived just as Foodin sensed Hanako waking up for the day.

_“You and Foodin should wait for her downstairs, then bring her outside to meet us, Satoshi-chan,”_ Butterfree insisted. _“That way she won’t feel crowded by us all being in a small room.”_

“Okay.”

_“Excellent idea!”_

The group split up, those returning outside making their way to the garden on a telepathic suggestion from Foodin. _::Being around the lavender plants is very soothing to Hanako-dono, and should help relax her.::_

The waiting was a little nerve-wracking, especially for Keromatsu after the nightmare he’d had, which he couldn’t help but try to analyze.

_I…understand what each half of the nightmare was. The second half was the manifested fears of what could happen as result of the coming conversation, the first was my memory of a time when Satoshi was tortured. But…why_ that _specific memory? Why mash them together like that? This is Satoshi’s_ mother _, for crying out loud! There is_ no _way she is capable of being as much of a monster as…_ **that man** _. Even…even knowing she had her son’s memories taken originally, I doubt she would agree to it if it were such a torturous process._ Keromatsu slowly let out a silent sigh of frustration.

_I need to give her a chance to prove herself, not be set against her before she even meets me. Ignore her choices regarding Satoshi’s education for now, ignore the choices she made originally. Just focus on supporting Satoshi through this, and act only if necessary._ After taking a few deep, calming breaths, Keromatsu did briefly wonder about the one part of the nightmare that made zero sense to him.

_Why did Pikachu disappear? The others turned to white mist but I could still see their silhouettes…but Pikachu vanished some time between when Satoshi was blasted with energy and when those machines turned into Foodin…Maybe because he isn’t presently here and I don’t know where he is right now…? No, that makes no sense either. Though I know he’s out there somewhere, I have no idea where Luchabull is right now, while neither Yayakoma’s nor Onbat’s eggs have come into existence yet, and I have no idea where Yayakoma was hatched. And I don’t know about Numera. I don’t recall if we ever asked him about when he hatched, but I at least know he would be in the Wetlands. So why…? Unless it was Pidgeot’s comments yesterday that caused it._

Keromatsu gave a rueful smile as he thought about Pidgeot’s words again. _But I know he was mistaken. Pikachu is Satoshi’s partner, not me. He was–_ is _our leader and mentor. We couldn’t have gotten as far as we did without him…it would’ve been impossible. I think out of everyone, I miss him the most. It’ll be good to see him again when we start our journey._

_“Here they come!”_ Koratta whispered in a mix of excitement and nervousness, distracting Keromatsu from his thoughts.

Satoshi quickly made his way to them and the worry on his face made it clear he needed a lot of support to get through this. Keromatsu didn’t wait, he met the boy halfway and hugged him with a soothing murmur before climbing on to his shoulder so Satoshi could pick up Koratta. The boy snuggled against her fur for a moment before nuzzling against Keromatsu’s cheek, but it did the trick to settle him, and Satoshi was visibly able to gather his courage and turn back to face his mother as she came outside with Foodin.

In the quiet moment before Satoshi spoke, Keromatsu took a good look at the woman responsible for his trainer’s existence. He’d never seen her in person before –only through a couple photos the older Satoshi carried–, somehow always missing Satoshi’s calls to her and then avoiding being spotted by her once he came back in Time. It was interesting to see what features she and her son –especially once he was older– shared. Their bone structures looked similar, and there was no doubt in Keromatsu’s mind that Satoshi got his slim build from her, and of course, they both had caramel eyes. But then, they were also very different as well. Her skin was paler, her eyes a slightly different shape, and her hair auburn and neatly groomed.

Her expressions of surprise and curiosity were also different, far more reserved, and currently colored with bemusement considering the situation. Until she took a good look at Keromatsu, and he saw her expression tighten ever so slightly as apprehension filtered in alongside recognition. _She knows what Pokemon I am. That confirms my suspicion about her own knowledge._

“Kaa-chan…these are my friends. They’ve been helping me…get past what made me run away from school. Especially Keromatsu. And I…we think you need to know something about me. Something that…made the bullies at school target me, but also let me become friends with these four.” Satoshi hesitated a moment before taking a deep breath and using his Aura, causing his eyes to glow as usual.

Her gasp of shock was the signal that she was seeing the glow, and the boy laid it out plainly. “Kaa-chan, I’m able to use Aura. Keromatsu and the others think I have enough to be an Aura Guardian.”

Hanako was silent, her jaw slightly dropped in shock as Foodin chimed in telepathically, projecting so everyone present could hear her. _::It’s true, Hanako-dono. He’s even able to understand me when I physically speak.::_

“…How long…have you been able to…?”

Satoshi flushed a bit, fidgeting until Keromatsu nuzzled him calmingly. “I…I didn’t know it was Aura until I met Keromatsu… But I knew I could understand Pokemon…ever since that day I snuck out into the reservation and got stuck in the rain.”

“…That’s what you were so excited about all those months ago…”

“Yeah… But then the bullies at school saw me talking to…a Pokemon and then things got so crazy. I…I was scared they were right, that I was a demon, and being around me was making them act that way. Then Fuguri-chan was hurt and I just couldn’t take it anymore, so I begged not to go back,” Satoshi admitted, a little shame-faced and turning his head to snuggle in keromousse for a moment to resettle himself. When he looked back, his face had brightened with gratitude and affection. “But then I met Keromatsu a few nights ago and he’s been helping me… He’s the one who told me about the three other Types and went over the grooming chapter with me… We even made a list of things I need to study before I get my trainer’s license.”

Keromatsu let himself bask in warm pride for a moment. He hadn’t been positive Satoshi would be able to talk about the bullying without coaxing, but his trainer had found his courage to push on. It also soothed his heart to see, at least for the moment, a complete absence of fear or apprehension in the boy’s eyes as he talked about what they had accomplished the last couple days. One day soon, Satoshi would be running around as energetically and fearlessly as he’d ever been, and that gave Keromatsu more hope for the future than anything else thus far. But for now, he returned his attention to the boy’s mother and felt some concern.

Hanako…looked lost, like the world had been pulled out from under her. It took several long moments for her to collect herself, Foodin obviously comforting her with a private telepathic link as she half-hugged her and pat her back. Once she took a deep breath, the woman seemed to wilt a little bit. “I…don’t know much about Aura beyond the stories. And to hear what really happened at your school… But I guess, I understand how you suddenly started to bounce back over these past couple days and… I’m sorry, I’m not really sure how to respond to all this… Satoshi-chan, would you…and your friends mind if we call Okido-san over? I…I think I need some help understanding what all this will mean for us.”

The Bubble Frog wanted to say no. He understood that Hanako felt overwhelmed, but it had been hard for Satoshi just to tell _her_ , why would she immediately want to make him tell another person? His concern from yesterday about the elderly researcher also reared its head. But looking at Satoshi, Keromatsu was a little surprised to see less nervousness than he would’ve expected and maybe even some relief. _Then again, the man is an avid Pokemon researcher and a little…_ eccentric _, but seemed pretty harmless overall whenever I saw him on the vidphones… Maybe that helps Satoshi not feel as worried about telling him as opposed to his mother. “We do need to talk to him eventually, if for no other reason than to have him contact Rota.”_

Satoshi nodded at that. “Y-Yeah, we can call him. Keromatsu says we’d need him to contact the Kingdom of Rota for us anyway.”

It was nearly imperceptible, but Keromatsu caught Hanako’s flinch at the mention of Rota, and he suspected the reason. After all, his fall back plan involved getting Satoshi taken in by the kingdom’s monarch, so it stood to reason she would be worried they would simply take Satoshi from her. Not that they would without good reason. _Still, hopefully the threat of that will keep her from any…drastic thoughts._

All of them were invited inside and the group settled in the living room, Foodin going to prepare refreshments while Hanako used the vidphone. Satoshi, rather than taking a seat on the couch, flopped to the floor and leaned against Pidgeot while Keromatsu slipped down to sit with Koratta on the boy’s lap. Tension melted out of the boy as he cuddled the two smaller Pokemon, and they could all feel his relief like a physical weight.

Butterfree settled beside Satoshi and hummed comfortingly. _“You’re doing just fine Satoshi-chan. I’m sure everything will turn out right. We just have to get through talking to Okido-san and he won’t pressure you to do anything you don’t want to.”_

“Sorry, I just… I don’t mind Okido-hakase, and I’m glad I finally told Kaa-chan, but… I don’t know, maybe I thought she’d react differently…”

_“You thought she would either reject you or be very happy right away,”_ Pidgeot stated with certainty. _“It is not easy to predict how anyone will feel, not usually. For now, let us be thankful she feels confused rather than hostile.”_

Keromatsu was a little annoyed with the bird’s word choice, but acknowledged freely that he had a point. Confusion was better than a lot of possible outcomes. _“Don’t worry about it for now, Satoshi. Let’s just relax until Okido-hakase gets here. Do you want to try meditating for now?”_

“…Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”

Hanako went to putter around the kitchen after her call, and did not come back into the living room, though Keromatsu did catch her looking out at them all with mixed emotions from time to time. Satoshi meditated for the entire half hour wait, longer than Keromatsu had had him try thus far, and the Bubble Frog was proud of him for it, more so because the boy managed not to fall asleep which was a common problem with lengthy meditation. But Satoshi was quick to startle out of the session when an exuberant knock came at the door.

“Hanako-san, Satoshi-kun, I’m here!”

“The door’s open, Okido-san!”

At Hanako’s call the door swung open to admit the old man, who was practically bouncing with excitement. He made his way to the recliner across from the boy and Pokemon, flopping down before leaning forward with a bright smile.

“Satoshi-kun, your mother told me you’re able to use Aura! A fine gift, my boy, very rare too!”

The boy flushed under the praise, chuckling a little nervously and clearly rethinking whether he was okay with talking to the man about his abilities. Pidgeot and Butterfree were both amused by the researcher’s behavior, Koratta laughing as the man started to babble about how he never expected to ever meet someone able to use Aura in his lifetime. Keromatsu was more concerned with Satoshi’s comfort, and made that clear by tossing a ball of keromousse at the man to get him to stop.

_“You’re making him uncomfortable. Stop it.”_

Okido blinked at the Bubble Frog before looking at Satoshi in question. Flushing a little deeper, Satoshi translated for the Water-type, getting a laugh out from Okido as he leaned back in the seat.

“Protective, isn’t he? Though I suppose that’s to be expected. The Keromatsu line tend to become very protective of their trainers as they evolve, though it seems this one’s starting early.” He then gave a much calmer smile as he shifted to get comfortable. “But, truly, I meant what I said. The ability to actually use Aura is very rare in humans, rarer than Psychic abilities even. I don’t doubt you probably have questions about your abilities, and I know your mother is concerned about what this will mean for you.”

“I am,” Hanako affirmed as she reentered the living room with Foodin, the Psychic-type passing around water and fruit while she pulled up a chair beside the aging researcher.

Okido gave her a comforting glance before asking Satoshi. “Tell me, Satoshi-kun, what do you know about Aura Guardians or Aura users in general?”

“Um, not much,” Satoshi admitted. “I know the Guardians in the stories work with both people and Pokemon to keep the peace, and that they can battle with their Pokemon. And…and Keromatsu told me that Aura users are rare, respected, and, um, coveted? Yeah, coveted by Pokemon.”

Okido nodded, eyes gleaming. “Mm, that’s mostly correct. Aura Guardians are indeed primarily peacekeepers and only take to battle when its unavoidable. By battle, I’m not referring to the matches between trainers, unfortunately.” The gleam turned solemn as Okido took more of a teaching tone. “I’m referring to conflict, like in the wars we read in our history books. Peace and the continued co-existence of people and Pokemon is their primary goal, thus they will never choose a side in war, but fight to disable both sides until a compromise is reached to end the fighting.”

Satoshi was both enthralled and apprehensive at this information, the Pokemon brushing against him or nuzzling him reassuringly when they noticed it. “…I don’t like the idea of war…”

“No one truly does, my boy,” Okido reassured before taking on a happier tone. “Thankfully, that’s not something that occurs often. Aura Guardians tended to be more valued for their abilities to talk to and calm Pokemon, settling the more manageable disputes and acting as a neutral party for all. Pokemon flock to them, as legend has it that Aura users possess pure hearts that ensure safety for all in their care. Abilities that have been recorded range from shields, pulse and blast attacks. Aura Sight which –to keep it simple– allows one to navigate and locate by seeing the life energy around you. Healing, and of course understanding Pokemon speech flawlessly among other abilities. It’s also rumored that an Aura user could transfer their Aura or life-force into others at great risk to themselves, though I’m not sure if there’s any solid record of that.”

Keromatsu had to fight not to react to that, pain flaring in his heart at the reminder of exactly why he was even able to be here in the first place. He did lean more firmly into Satoshi, but no one seemed to notice or comment. _Not this time. I won’t let him be driven to that again…_

“That’s really the extent of my knowledge, much of which I was allowed to learn from the archivists in Rota,” Okido finished off, looking a little wistful. “Though I’d certainly welcome an opportunity to learn more, I understand it is not my place. Still, I suspect even that much is rather helpful to you, hm?”

“That’s a lot,” Satoshi murmured with wide eyes before looking down at Keromatsu. “I don’t think we’ll be able to learn all that before I get my license…”

That got a huff of laughter from the Water-type. _“Of course not, I don’t doubt many of those abilities take years to learn, and even longer to perfect. Though on the other hand you’ve already become adept in understanding Pokemon, which I believed to be the hardest skill.”_

_“I agree with that. Every Pokemon could be considered to have a language all their own, in a way, and thus far you seem to understand each of us flawlessly,”_ Pidgeot agreed with a light shuffle of his feathers. _“It speaks highly of your potential.”_

_“We’ll keep concentrating on meditation for now, which will eventually incorporate into exploring your Aura. I was told it’s a similar concept to how a Psychic would explore their own mind, though I have no personal evidence for that,”_ Keromatsu continued, looking at Foodin askance.

The Psychic-type’s eyes lit up at that. _“That’s actually very true, we do use meditation that way. I never realized it could be the same for other abilities…”_

“So, meditation’s still important, and with everything else on the list… Should we make another list for when we start our journey?” Satoshi asked, curiosity and that infectious excitement Keromatsu remembered from his older self building in those caramel eyes.

_“It wouldn’t hurt,”_ the Water-type agreed, catching sight of Okido’s awed and excited expression. _“Though, for now we should probably return to the conversation at hand…”_

Satoshi jumped a little, blushing in embarrassment. “O-Oh! Sorry…”

“No, no! Don’t apologize, Satoshi-kun! It’s fascinating to watch you work with your ability so effortlessly! Though, I admit I am curious about the conversation. You mentioned your training license and lists…?”

“Well, um…” Satoshi looked down at Keromatsu, clearly asking whether it was okay to tell the researcher about their plans.

Keromatsu shrugged but smiled supportively, having decided that Okido clearly didn’t have any intention of stopping Satoshi’s progress. _“It’s your choice, Satoshi. I won’t stop you if you don’t mind sharing our plans with him.”_

The boy looked relieved at that and looked at Koratta. “Koratta? Could you go up to my room and grab the paper I have stuck above my desk? I want to show them the list while we talk about it.”

_“Leave it to me!”_ Koratta cheered, happy to be able to contribute, and scampered out of the living room and up the stairs while Satoshi looked back at Okido.

“Keromatsu and I made a list of things I need to study before I get my license since some of my books–“

_“Most of them,”_ Keromatsu muttered with displeasure, getting a half smile from the boy.

“–aren’t very accurate.”

Okido raised an eyebrow at that. “Oh? Which books?”

“Um, well I can’t remember the author, but one of them is called ‘All One-hundred Fifty Pokemon in the World’. It’s a few years old, and the author’s picture…well, Keromatsu called him a diva.”

That got a huff out of the researcher, and Keromatsu caught the confused look he sent at Hanako, who was staring off into space. “I know that book, but I could have sworn it was out of print. The author turned out to be a fraud for one, and he inadvertently caused a string of injuries due to people following his advice for Pokemon grooming.”

_“I knew it,”_ Keromatsu grumbled, automatically relaxing when Satoshi stroked one of his cheeks.

_“I got it!”_ Koratta announced, distracting the room as she scampered back in with the list rolled up and curled in her tail. Satoshi accepted it with a word of thanks and pet her behind the ears as she resettled in his lap.

Satoshi unrolled the paper and read off it, explaining what Keromatsu told him when they made the list as he went. Okido listened with fascination and the occasional question, but Keromatsu took note of the man’s continued looks of confusion towards Hanako, which eventually changed into something like disappointment. Finally, when Satoshi finished Okido chuckled faintly.

“That is quite a lot to cover…but clearly you have someone very reliable helping you,” Okido commented with a look at Keromatsu, and it was the Bubble Frog he addressed next. “I admit, I’m curious about your origins, Keromatsu, but, clearly you have made your place at Satoshi-kun’s side, and I doubt I could remove you even if I wanted to. I will provide the reading material you both will require, as well as contact Rota if you like, but I wish to know your future plans for Satoshi-kun’s training and request some occasional help around the habitats near my lab in exchange.”

Keromatsu was quiet for a moment as he considered, but eventually he nodded. As far as he could tell, Okido genuinely had no intention of trying to separate him from Satoshi, and that was the most important thing to him. _“Satoshi, would you translate for me?”_

“Yes.”

_“My primary concerns are that Satoshi have a better feel for his Aura so that he can eventually learn to use it for different abilities. I_ do _want him to be officially recognized by Rota as well. Beyond that…I just wish to remain at his side, so we can help each other reach our fullest potential. I don’t know how to describe it beyond that.”_

_And I won’t tell you about the future, because I’m not sure you would understand._

After Satoshi translated, hugging Keromatsu as he did so, Okido nodded understandingly. “That sounds reasonable. Hanako-san, what are your thoughts about all of this?”

Satoshi startled in his seat, and Keromatsu could tell he had forgotten she was present. Ignoring the woman for the moment, Keromatsu murmured to Satoshi calmingly until the boy relaxed. Then, the Bubble Frog looked over at Hanako, almost daring her to object to anything that had been revealed. But she just looked defeated, though she was forcing a smile.

“Honestly, I’m…overwhelmed. My little boy seems to be growing up faster than…I expected.”

“We all go through that phase as parents,” Okido sympathized. “Thankfully, you have a couple years yet before Satoshi sets off on his Pokemon journey.”

“……Unless Rota takes him from me…….”

_And there’s the crux of the matter_ , Keromatsu thought as Hanako finally looked down, away from everyone.

Okido sighed, reaching over to take one of her hands. “Hanako-san, I know you’re afraid of being alone, but I highly doubt Satoshi-kun would run off and forget about you. Nor would the Kingdom of Rota take him from you without just cause.”

“I love you, Kaa-chan,” Satoshi agreed, eyes bright. “I’d call you all the time just to tell you every new thing I see. I’d tell all my Pokemon that get rotated back here to keep you company so you can see my progress. And I’d always come back home, Kaa-chan.”

“I…I know,” she said, raising her head with a weak smile. “It will…take some getting used to is all…”

After a moment of quiet, Okido made a suggestion. “There’s nothing saying we have to contact Rota immediately. Why don’t we give Satoshi-kun a couple months to really learn meditation and get further in his studies. It will let you get used to his changes and the presence of his friends. And of course you can always come see me or call to talk. I know a thing or two about watching and letting go.”

The Bubble Frog thought about protesting the delay, but he knew Okido was right. There really wasn’t a need to immediately contact Rota if Hanako was willing to try and accept the changes around her. And admittedly, Keromatsu didn’t want Satoshi to lose his relationship with his mother if he didn’t have to, which was a possible outcome if Rota was contacted and found Hanako’s deliberate neglect of Satoshi’s education.

She nodded faintly at Okido, before taking a breath and addressing the four Pokemon with her son. “The four of you are welcome here whenever you wish. Satoshi-chan is clearly very fond of you and I appreciate that you have been supporting him…even in facing me.”

_“Can we stay?”_

Keromatsu looked at Koratta in bemusement while Foodin translated for her since Satoshi was surprised by the question. She had beaten the Water-type to the punch it seemed. _“I know Keromatsu isn’t going anywhere, and I don’t want to leave either. So, can we stay?”_

Hanako looked between the two Pokemon, taking in the hope on Koratta’s face and Keromatsu made sure to show her stubborn determination. He wasn’t leaving even if she demanded it. But she sighed and nodded with a small smile. “Yes, you can both stay if you wish.”

Keromatsu smiled in satisfaction while Koratta and Satoshi cheered, perfectly relaxed as the boy hugged both small Pokemon close. _Another hurdle jumped. The next few months should be…enlightening at least, but the future looks bright for the moment._

…-…Elsewhere…-…

“Argh!”

“Sir!”

A muscular guard in a sharp black suit kneeled beside his employer as the man stumbled to the ground out of nowhere, seemingly having a seizure. The white suited employer thrashed in pain, clutching his neatly slicked back hair and nearly ripping it out as gold eyes turned black with white-green light radiating from the pupils. Visions flowed and clashed in his mind like a typhoon, much different than anything he had previously experienced.

A bi-pedal fox-like Pokemon glaring from the ground. A boy and a Pikachu clashing with a Mumargi–no, a boy with a bi-pedal frog fending off both a Mumargi and a Kagebouzu, the frog throwing orbs of water and the boy healing him with waves of blue energy. No–a Pikachu sending shocks after him in defense of Cerebi, or is it the frog rushing him with Double Team? A tiny non-bi-pedal version of the fox Pokemon struggling in his grasp and biting him. His loyal guard battling a pair of young trainers, a dark-skinned boy and a blue-haired girl––no, a boy with messy brunet hair. The boy with the frog –no a Pikachu, wait yes the frog– staring him in the eyes in defiance while being near strangled and hitting him with an Aura Pulse.

And as it all fades out, a voice so faint shouting a name in anguish.

The white suited man stopped thrashing as the visions stopped, breathing heavily while his guard asked if he should call for medical assistance. Eventually, the man retook his feet and shook his head.

“No, I don’t need a doctor. It was…a far more intense vision than I am used to, but likely very important. Get a sketch artist to my office, there’s someone in that vision I need researched.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

While the guard sped away, the employer made his way to a lavish office and collapsed in the leather chair behind the desk, turning to idly stare out the window. “I wonder who you are and how you’re going to cause me such trouble, Satoshi?”

…TBC…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Discussion Time~!
> 
> \- Satoshi-Hanako Conversation 1- I’m aware I’ve made Satoshi not only more affectionate, but also a little…softer I think is the word I’m looking for. Some of that brashness needs to pop out occasionally or he might as well be Mirror!Satoshi. However, I won’t let him be anywhere near as hardheaded as he was for much of the anime. No way, no how.
> 
> \- Satoshi’s Education- Yep, I’m having the Pokemon take charge in his education. For one, Hanako is the breadwinner for the family (which is now expanding a little because of the Pokemon), so the fact is she doesn’t have a lot of time to buckle down and help him hit the books, disregarding her issues of course. Okido’s going to be involved, yes, but he’s letting the Pokemon take charge too because of curiosity; he’s a researcher after all, and the idea of Pokemon being able to raise trainers or at least Aura Guardians would be a fascinating thing for him.
> 
> \- Keromatsu- Just an update on what’s probably obvious by now, but yes, Keromatsu does have a form of PTSD, and it will give him trouble throughout this story. And the cheek thing? Mars2terra reminded me how in Pokemon Amie, Keromatsu’s cheeks are the spots that give the highest affection. And fluff feeds my soul~
> 
> \- Foodin’s Origin- I mentioned before that I originally had changed Barrierd’s origins so he was present from the beginning. But, that felt unnecessary the more I read back over it. So, Foodin fulfills my need for a Pokemon with Psychic abilities, and satisfies my annoyance that Hanako didn’t have a Pokemon around before Barrierd joined the family.
> 
> \- Satoshi’s father- Just to be clear, I’m never going to make any guesses or hints toward who I think his father is. I have to mention his existence of course, but I don’t want to open up the can of worms that would come with guessing who his father is.
> 
> \- Keromatsu/Gekkouga-Pikachu- I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again. I do love Pikachu. Pikachu is definitely mentor/big brother material, and I can see Gekkouga looking up to him in spite of being arguably comparable/stronger and taller. But Keromatsu’s decisions have consequences concerning Pikachu. Now, contrary to what this chapter may give you the impression of, I’m not removing Pikachu from existence. He will just have a different role.
> 
> \- Okido’s Knowledge of Aura- He’s a world renown researcher who is very well respected. I can see Rota trusting him with more general information than most people would have.
> 
> \- Scene Change- I think I made it obvious enough who was actually featured here but just incase, I’ll say it plainly. Grings Kodai. He’s going to get an interesting role in the pre-arc, but the primary thing I was introducing here was the problem with his visions. I’ll let you interpret that how you wish.
> 
> Couple things I want to address at this point:
> 
> -My timeline is going to include the movies with the exception of the "I Choose You" one for obvious reasons.
> 
> -Just a reminder that Satoshi's Pokemon lineup will have some severe changes, along with his companions. Yes, I'm expecting some flak for the changes, but that why I'm going to post reminders periodically. You can't say I didn't warn you then. XP
> 
> -Next, about Mega Evolutions and Pokemon fully evolving. I have not settled on whether Satoshi will get a Key Stone/Mega Evolution stone or not, but I do know he WILL NOT get a Mega Lizardon X or Y. Not going to happen, please don't ask. I am also changing the pacing of when his Pokemon evolve, ESPECIALLY Keromatsu. I know people complain a lot that he doesn't evolve all his Pokemon, but frankly I feel like those complaints ignore some basic things: not all Pokemon WANT to fully evolve, and it's not always a good thing for Pokemon to evolve too quickly, just like it's not always good for a kid to have to grow up too fast. So, taking that into account, please don't expect Satoshi to have nothing but fully evolved Pokemon, 'cause that's not going to happen either.
> 
> -Finally, no I'm not trying to make Satoshi completely OP/GOD status. In fact I'm trying to avoid that as much as possible, so don't expect him to win all the leagues either please.
> 
> Japanese to English (In order of appearance)
> 
> Casey - Abra  
> Garagara - Marowak  
> Zenigame - Squirtle  
> Kizuna Genshou - Bond Phenomena  
> Numera - Goomy  
> Fuguri - Leaf (listed alt/nickname for her on both Serebii and Bulbapedia)  
> Mumargi - Mismagius  
> Kagebouzu - Shuppet  
> Cerebi - Celebi


	5. Pre-Journey Arc: Changing Times Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -As usual, points mentioned in the chapter will be discussed in the end notes.
> 
> - _Italicized_ is Thoughts
> 
> - _"Italicized"_ is Pokemon Speech
> 
> - _::Italicized::_ is Pokemon Telepathy

In the six months since Keromatsu had come to Masara Town, and recovered the lynchpin of his family, Satoshi had been progressing steadily. Book work was tedious, and certainly not something that Satoshi could concentrate on well, but he excelled in his hands-on activities. Meditation was becoming easier for him, as he was now able to maintain a meditative state for a solid forty-five minutes when stationary and for twenty minutes while moving; he was almost ready to begin adding his Aura into the process. As Keromatsu had expected, Satoshi took to the training exercises with vigor, preferring to work on running, evasion, swimming, and –much to Keromatsu’s amused nostalgia– tree hopping.

Not that Hanako knew about that last one. It was really only usable out in the reservation, and she was never present for those trips as she trusted Okido-hakase to keep an eye on Satoshi. Okido, on the other hand, trusted Satoshi to be out in the reservation without his supervision as long as he had at least two of his Pokemon ‘tutors’ with him at all times. His reasoning was that in the off-chance Satoshi couldn’t communicate to get out of trouble, then his tutors would be able to protect him.

Keromatsu had initially both welcomed the privacy from scrutiny and felt that Okido was being almost irresponsible in his leniency. Really, what adult would let a young, non-trainer wander around a reservation filled with both tame and wild Pokemon without an adult present? Then, after a dangerous run in with a Utsubot and a Ruffresia in a territory dispute about two months into training that resulted in he, Satoshi, and Butterfree being rescued by a well-trained Fushigisou, Keromatsu learned that Okido had told all of his personal Pokemon to look after them. That experience left Keromatsu respecting Okido more, and feeling disappointed in his own skills of observation and assumption.

It had also reminded Keromatsu just how much strength he had lost upon coming back in time, how much harder it was to protect Satoshi at his current level. That had prompted Keromatsu into training himself far harder in-between Satoshi’s lessons, and he was getting closer to relearning both _Cut_ and _Water Pulse_.

Aside from their physical training, both Keromatsu and Satoshi were learning quite a bit about edible and medicinal plants thanks to Butterfree. Keromatsu had originally worried that this would be too tedious for Satoshi, but a combination of the boy’s love for food and determination to be able to care for his Pokemon in emergencies had ensured that Satoshi absorbed the information like a sponge. And speaking of food, Hanako began having Satoshi help her make meals occasionally as a precursor to learning outdoor cooking and how to make Pokemon food and treats. It was…an amusing work in progress. So far, Satoshi couldn’t make anything that required an oven, and anything needing a frying pan tended to be either burnt or under-done. Soups and stews were fairly easy on the other hand, as well as rice, porridge, and oatmeal. And not even Satoshi could mess up salads and sandwiches. Based on this, Keromatsu was predicting a lot of Polocks in the future, as he had his doubts Satoshi would _ever_ get the hang of baking for Poffins and Pofflés.

All in all, it had been a productive and peaceful six months. Unfortunately for Keromatsu’s paranoia, that meant he was just waiting for something to go wrong. If he had learned one thing from being with Satoshi’s older self, it was that nothing stayed peaceful for long and the boy was a trouble magnet. Truthfully, and with a hint of shame, Keromatsu was expecting the trouble to come from Hanako. Though she made no attempts to interfere with Satoshi’s education, the Bubble Frog often caught her watching Satoshi and himself with sorrow, worry, and some resentment, especially during meditation times. She never said anything, but it was clear she was having a hard time adjusting to the situation.

With his focus on Hanako, he never saw the unlikely source of trouble until it was far too late.

…-…-…-…-…

“Hey, Keromatsu? Do you think I can start working on my Aura during meditation soon?”

Keromatsu came out of his own meditation, taking in Satoshi’s both peaceful and hopeful expression. Beside the boy, Koratta once again shook herself from the edge of sleep, not quite able to manage true meditation for longer than ten minutes, and looked equally hopeful. The Water-type had to silently chuckle; he knew it was starting to get to the point where the current routine would become boring.

However, he had set goals, milestones, that he wanted Satoshi to reach before taking the next step with his Aura training, and they were for his safety. He knew once Satoshi began the process of manipulating his Aura during meditation he would attract a lot more attention for a time, because control would be the first thing he’d need to focus on. Until he achieved adequate control over his Aura, everything for who knew how many miles would be able to sense the boy. It would paint a target on him, much like a baby Pokemon would go through when learning their abilities for the first time, and it would be up to Keromatsu and the others to be prepared to protect him.

Granted, Keromatsu had zero intention of letting Satoshi do this anywhere but at home for now, but it wasn’t just wild Pokemon the Water-type was concerned about.

_“You’re coming along nicely, but, I still think it’s a little too soon. We’ll start on Aura manipulation when you can maintain your stationary meditation for an hour consistently, okay?”_

Satoshi did pout a little bit at that but nodded. “All right. But, why an hour?”

Keromatsu hopped over to the boy, easily scaling up to his shoulder and poking his cheek. _“For one thing, to make sure the lesson in patience has fully sunk in.”_

That got a sheepish laugh and wince out of Satoshi; he knew how much his tendency to rush around could get him into trouble. His rushing ahead of Keromatsu and Butterfree is what got them caught up in the fighting between that Utsubot and Ruffresia.

It was the first time he had seen a live battle in person, one where he and his friends were in actual danger of injury, and there had been several scares before Fushigisou had saved them. Keromatsu had been at a disadvantage due to typing and move set. Butterfree’s disadvantages were simply that his advancing age had weakened his reflexes and his various spore moves would not take affect on the pair of Grass-types. Satoshi had tried to talk to the fighting pair, but while the Ruffresia had been mildly interested, the Utsubot had been half crazed from battle and the constant hunger that plagued its species. It had tried several times to eat Satoshi, as well as the three Pokemon, and managed to graze Satoshi with _Poison Jab_. He had never seen Keromatsu look so livid and scared as when the Bubble Frog dive-bombed the Utsubot in the side to get it away from Satoshi, his _Pound_ attack distributed to all four limbs as he battered the Grass/Poison-type across the clearing.

Reservation trips were suspended by Keromatsu for two weeks after that, and for a solid month Keromatsu had been visibly hostile toward any unfamiliar Pokemon that came within two meters of Satoshi. While Satoshi was curious about Keromatsu’s reaction to the minor wound –the poison hadn’t even taken effect, and the wound barely even qualified as a cut–, he hadn’t worked up the courage to ask about it, largely because of his guilt for getting into that situation in the first place.

Satoshi tuned out his thoughts as Keromatsu continued, mentally scolding himself for getting distracted. _“I would also like you to be able to maintain the meditation for an hour so the training can be sectioned off equally. You’re going to spend the first twenty minutes settling into the meditation, twenty minutes working with your Aura or attempting to, and twenty minutes of cool down meditation. Foodin and I have talked it over and we’re fairly certain that this training is going to strain you a lot, so you’re going to need those resting buffers.”_

While the boy gave a nod of acknowledgment, he still questioned his friend. “Okay, but, why do you think it’ll be so difficult? I mean, I don’t feel any strain using my Aura to understand and talk to you guys…”

 _“True, but that’s an ability you not only tapped into unconsciously, but it’s also something that took you awhile to figure out how to use it at will, according to Butterfree,”_ Keromatsu pointed out. _“It’s also an ability that affects your mind more than your body. You’re going to be learning how to call on your Aura for physical manipulation during these meditations, and that’s going to be stressful on both your mind and body. Think of it like learning to swim. You watch others swim for a long period of time, maybe even practice the motions on land to get familiar with it. But then you actually have to get in the water and put it into practice, and you find that even if you can do the activity, you certainly can’t maintain it for the same amount of time as an experienced swimmer because your body isn’t used to it.”_

Keromatsu could tell Satoshi was mentally giggling at the swimming analogy, and he could admit to seeing the humor considering he was a Water-type, but he pressed on. _“It wouldn’t surprise me if you find yourself aching and sore after those sessions for quite a while. I went through that when I learned to channel Normal-type energy so I could use Pound. Granted, Normal-type isn’t a difficult energy to harness and use as it’s the most malleable of the types. But when it isn’t your primary type, it can leave you feeling wrung out.”_

 _“Pidgeot mentioned that he learned Steel Wing, but it took him over three seasons to successfully learn how to use Steel-type energy without getting stuck being stiff,”_ Koratta added, fascinated by the conversation. _“I know my species can learn Dark and Fighting-type moves, but I don’t like how Dark-type energy feels and I haven’t been able to use any Fighting-type energy, so I doubt I’ll ever learn any of those.”_

Satoshi tilted his head at that, musing. “Isn’t Aura technically Fighting-type energy? You said the move _Aura Sphere_ is Fighting-type…”

 _“For a Pokemon it certainly is, but to my understanding human Aura abilities do not feel the same as a Pokemon’s,”_ Keromatsu explained. _“I’ve personally never met a human Aura user before yourself, but the Pokemon I talked to said his species instinctively knows that human Aura has a different resonance and pressure than Fighting-type energy. We’ll see how true that is once we get started on your Aura Meditation.”_

Giving a hum of understanding, Satoshi climbed to his feet. “Okay then, guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Anyway, didn’t Okido-hakase say he wanted us to make a round of the pens right next to the lab? Something about a possibly injured wild Pokemon sneaking food?”

As the trio strolled out of the small lab they had been using for a meditation break, none of them realized there had been an eavesdropper just outside the door, though the individual had only heard Satoshi’s side of the conversation. Once the lab was empty, said eavesdropper walked in, dark viridian eyes staring at the door leading outside while worried confusion creased their expression.

“…Was ‘Toshi…talking to those Pokemon?”

…-…-…-…-…

For nearly a month, Keromatsu could swear someone was watching Satoshi, but so far he hadn’t caught anyone spying on them. It was getting to the point where the Bubble Frog was sure his paranoia was getting the best of him, so he actively tried to ignore the feeling. If he hadn’t, he would’ve eventually noticed the brunet boy who had surprisingly good hiding reflexes, and Satoshi could have identified him as his once best friend Okido Shigeru.

It wasn’t that the two fell out of friendship, oh no. It was just that Satoshi had been home-schooled and depressed long enough that he’d been neglecting said friendship with the other boy. The only reason Shigeru hadn’t raised a fuss was because his grandfather had taken him aside back when Satoshi was first pulled out, saying that his friend needed space because of the severe bullying, and that he would need to wait until Satoshi was ready to see people again to approach. When Shigeru happened to notice Satoshi in one of the labs, he’d been ecstatic and ready to pounce on his friend –and maybe ready to interrogate him so Shigeru knew who specifically he needed to go beat up. However, he’d then noticed the Pokemon with the younger boy and paused in curiosity, only for Satoshi to start holding a conversation with the pair.

Now, thanks to being Okido’s grandson, Shigeru was aware that trainers who spent a long time with certain Pokemon could come to at least vaguely understand what their Pokemon wanted to communicate. However, Shigeru was positive that Satoshi had not known that odd frog-like Pokemon for several years and he was fairly doubtful he knew the Koratta that long either. And the conversation did not come off as something that could only be communicated through vague understanding, especially given that Satoshi had mentioned Aura and the Pokemon teaching him things.

It was a mystery, and Shigeru would never admit it aloud, but he had a weakness for mysteries. He was also feeling a little hurt that Satoshi seemed to be hiding things from him, which is why Shigeru decided watching him rather than talking to him was a better option. And he’d learned quite a bit from this month of stalk–er, _watching_.

Though Satoshi was out and about again, he didn’t interact with any people aside from his mother and Shigeru’s grandfather. In fact, if Satoshi himself wasn’t doing the avoiding, the frog Pokemon seemed to steer him away from nearly all other people in a given area, mostly the couple lab assistants.

Satoshi’s ability to talk to Pokemon clearly wasn’t limited to the two with him, as Shigeru had seen him talking to many others around the enclosures and in the reservation. The Pokemon were teaching Satoshi, as Shigeru learned when he’d followed his friend on an herb expedition led by a fairly aged Butterfree. Shigeru might have taken a few notes himself based on Satoshi’s questions and clarifications.

And finally, just the previous day Shigeru had gotten a peak at Satoshi’s meditation session in his mother’s garden and seen the boy glowing blue, as in his whole body shining blue like a star.

Putting all of this together, Shigeru had come to a conclusion. His best friend was learning to become an Aura Guardian like in the stories and his abilities were probably what had attracted all that bullying in the first place. It hurt that he wasn’t included, but considering what he’d seen of the bullying before Satoshi was pulled for home-schooling, Shigeru couldn’t really be angry at his friend. He could, however, be _very_ angry at the ones responsible for driving Satoshi into seclusion. Problem was he wasn’t sure if he should confront the whole gang of bullies, or if it would be better to single out the leader. Safety would dictate that a one-on-one confrontation would be best, but didn’t the whole gang deserve equal punishment?

For a week, Shigeru agonized over the choice in frustration, finding solace in secretly tending to a little wild Eievui that had shown up around the lab just over a month ago. The poor thing had been half-starved with a nearly broken tail messing with her balance and distinct talon marks on her back. But she’d proven to be both stubborn and oddly caring, not letting Shigeru help her unless she could do something for him too.

For example, if he wanted to feed her, he was required to have a meal or snack of his own at the same time or she wouldn’t take a bite. If he wanted to tend to her injuries, he had to let her check him over first to make sure he didn’t need help too. And she had more than once snuck into his room to comfort him when he was particularly lonely and missing his best friend –even though that meant scaling the currently empty flower trellis beside his window, risking a fall and getting more injured.

It was one of those evenings where Eievui had snuck into his room that Shigeru made his decision, talking to her out loud since he’d already confided everything about what was happening with Satoshi to her anyway. “Tomorrow, I’m going to give those bullies a piece of my mind, all of them!”

If Shigeru hadn’t been sure she understood him before, he was sure of it now as she got to her feet with a shocked expression and shook her head wildly, giving her distinct bark as if scolding him. But Shigeru was determined, having been inspired by her stubbornness and caring, and he told her so.

“I know it isn’t the safest idea, but neither is you climbing that trellis, especially while you were recovering! Those bullies need to be taught a lesson, and none of the adults have really done anything to them, so it’s up to me. Plus, even if I tried to get that jerk Minoru by himself, he’ll probably just get his goons to ambush me later. So confronting them at once is the better option.” Shigeru then smirked. “Besides, none of them are really strong, and even if they managed to hit me, they’d never get away with it because of who my jii-chan is.”

Eievui continued to protest, jumping on his chest to force him to lay down so she could stare straight into his eyes in worry. But Shigeru just smiled and pet her. “Don’t worry Eievui, I’ll be fine. If nothing else, the teacher will be nearby since I’ll be at school when I confront them. They’ll be sorry they messed with my best friend!”

Though she stopped vocally protesting, Eievui was not comforted by his assurances. If Shigeru could understand her, he would have heard her mumbling plans to find Satoshi and his guardian Bubble Frog to rescue her foolhardy friend.

~Dream~

“Hey, Satoshi? What ever happened to that one boy you always sat with during camp?”

Keromatsu glanced up from where he was eating with the rest of the group’s Pokemon at Serena’s voice, always curious about his trainer’s past thanks to the stories he and Pikachu told. Clearly being part of this summer camp Platane-hakase was hosting was making Serena nostalgic about when she met his trainer, and Satoshi seemed happy to oblige her curiosity.

“You mean Shigeru. He’s doing pretty well! He gave up wanting to be an elite trainer to become a researcher like his jii-san, Okido-hakase. He’s in Sinnoh right now, bouncing between monitoring Mt. Tengen because of an incident that occurred there and studying Fossil Pokemon,” Satoshi explained, eyes bright with happiness.

“ _Ooh_ , what kind of Fossil Pokemon?”

Temporarily tuning that conversation out, Keromatsu looked at Pikachu in confusion. _“I thought Satoshi and Shigeru had a falling out and were rivals?”_

Pikachu nodded with a sheepish smile. _“Yeah, they were rivals for a good while, up until the Shirogane Conference in Johto. That’s when we finally beat him in a full Pokemon battle and he decided that research was his calling rather than league competitions. They still had issues with each other’s arrogance and learning to trust each other, but they managed to hammer it out in Sinnoh.”_

Keromatsu thought about that for a long moment before asking, _“Why did their rivalry last so long? I mean, didn’t they have a fall out over a fished up Pokeball they both wanted? That seems too minor for a rivalry that lasted for three regions and then a strained almost-friendship for three more regions.”_

The Electric Mouse hesitated a little, before nodding. _“Well, they did and it was, but I kinda suspect that was just the final spark. Satoshi doesn’t talk a lot about his childhood, but I know they were good friends for years, so there has to be more than just that incident to make them have a falling out that bad. But whatever it was, Satoshi hasn’t mentioned it.”_

Curiosity nibbled at the Bubble Frog the whole day, though he managed to hold it at bay as work on the PR video progressed. Finally, as the group was getting ready for bed, Keromatsu managed to convey his question to Satoshi by digging through his trainer’s bag to pull out the one picture he had of Shigeru and pantomiming. For a while, Satoshi was quiet, holding the picture in hand and staring at it. Eventually he sighed, putting the picture away so he could pick Keromatsu up and absently pet him.

“To be honest, part of it was that we got distant a couple years before we started our journeys. I was pulled out of school to be home-schooled so Shigeru and I didn’t see each other often. I don’t really remember why I was pulled, though I know I was bullied a bit by some of the other kids,” Satoshi’s voice was soft, his caramel eyes distant as he got lost in memory. “But, because of that distance, we started growing apart. Shigeru was getting tons of attention as Okido-hakase’s grandson, and he was starting to get a swelled ego because of it. And…I was starting to get overlooked and dismissed as the home-schooled loner that spent more time looking for Pokemon friends than human friends. Shigeru always teased me about it, but with everyone else picking on or ignoring me because of it, it started to feel like he was bullying me too.”

Keromatsu didn’t like the old pain he could feel coming from his trainer, and he reached up to pat at Satoshi’s cheek comfortingly. Satoshi gave a gentle smile at that, curling down a little to snuggle against the Bubble Frog’s keromousse. “I pushed him away because of it. I know now that it hurt and confused him, and insulted his growing pride, but back then I was just upset and felt abandoned. I avoided him for the entire three months before I set out on my journey…well, until that day when we fished up that Pokeball. That broken Pokeball was just the last straw, so we mutually declared ourselves as rivals.”

A quiet sigh escaped the young teen. “He and I talked about it a little, when I was taking a break between regions. Shigeru said that once I started being home-schooled it was like I became a different person, depressed for several months and then overly bubbly but independent out of no where. I honestly don’t remember being depressed, but that isn’t something he’s likely to make up. I told him how I felt excluded and bullied, how I felt like he didn’t care I was hurting which made me push him away. We both agreed that we clung to our rivalry so long because even when we wanted to stop, we didn’t know how to reconnect.”

Satoshi then smiled warmly. “In the end, we both needed to grow up a bit and _show_ that we’d grown up in order to get passed it. And I’m glad we did. We may not be absolute best friends again, yet, but I know we’ll get there some day. Right now, it’s enough to know that if either of us were in trouble, we’d be there for each other, no questions asked.”

~End Dream~

_“Keromatsu, Satoshi-chan, wake up! There’s an Eievui outside the window!”_

Koratta’s shout startled Keromatsu out of his dreams enough that he automatically hopped into a combat stance, poised between the groggily rising Satoshi and the rest of the room in case of danger. He dropped the stance on realizing Koratta was at the windowsill, attempting to open it, and beyond her the Water-type could see a small Eievui standing on Keromatsu’s preferred tree branch. Even through the glass he could make out its slightly panicked calls for help, which made Keromatsu tense.

“Wha’tzz wrong, Koratta?” Satoshi asked through a yawn, only to snap awake as Keromatsu answered him.

_“There’s an Eievui outside, and it seems to be asking for help.”_

Scrambling out of bed, Satoshi opened the window, Keromatsu scaling up to the boy’s shoulder once his arms dropped again. None of them were given a chance to speak before the Eievui started questioning them, the pitch of its barks telling them it was female.

_“You’re Satoshi, right? Please, I need your help! My friend is going to get himself hurt or worse!”_

_“Hold on a moment. How do you know his name and what exactly is happening with your friend?”_ Keromatsu questioned right back, his tone a little curt but only because he was worried about Satoshi going into danger.

 _“My friend is the boy who lives at the lab in this town, Shigeru,”_ Eievui replied, apparently ignoring Keromatsu’s borderline rude tone.

Both Keromatsu and Satoshi startled at the name, Satoshi voicing his shock. “You’re ‘Geru’s friend? Wait, you said he’s going to get hurt?!”

 _“There isn’t time to fully explain, but he’s been following you around for about a month, trying to figure out why you didn’t seek him out. He discovered your Aura abilities and determined that they were the reason you were bullied enough to be taken from school,”_ Eievui explained, shifting uneasily as her worry clearly grew. _“He got so upset about it that he decided he was going to confront all of the bullies today before school to make them pay for hurting you.”_

Keromatsu’s jaw dropped and he nearly face-palmed himself for a few reasons. First, he _knew_ he hadn’t been imagining the feel of someone stalking them, cursing himself for trying to ignore the feeling. Second, he should have known that they would eventually come into contact with Satoshi’s once best friend; it was practically a guarantee since they spent so much time at the reservation and around Okido. And third, Shigeru was clearly just as prone to getting into trouble as Satoshi himself if he’d decided confronting a group of bullies, who had been proven to be violent, alone was a good idea.

_This can’t end well. I was right about trouble being on the horizon._

Satoshi was silent in shock for a long moment, but as the shock passed an achingly familiar determination lit his eyes that had Keromatsu’s heart jumping into his throat. “We _have_ to get to the school. Minoru had four buddies before I left but he might’ve made more. That’s way too many for ‘Geru to deal with by himself!”

 _“But, shouldn’t we get your mother first?”_ Koratta asked, clearly a little frightened by the situation but far more worried for Satoshi’s safety.

“Did ‘Geru already go to school, Eievui?” Satoshi asked instead of replying to the purple rat.

 _“Yes. He tried to sneak out without waking me, but I heard his bedroom door close,”_ Eievui confirmed.

The determined fire in those caramel eyes burned brighter and his Aura faintly flickered to life over Satoshi’s skin at the confirmation. “Then there’s no time to get her. I’ll be downstairs in just a second Eievui, and we’ll go straight to school.”

 _“Thank you, thank you so much!”_ Eievui cried, nearly literally, before she began scaling down the tree.

In the meantime, Satoshi rushed to change clothes and get downstairs while Keromatsu and Koratta both tried to caution him.

 _“I really think we should wake your mother up, Satoshi-chan,”_ Koratta insisted, hovering by the bedroom door as if torn between blocking it or just heading out to do what she was suggesting herself.

 _“Satoshi, you know I’ll do all I can to defend you and your friend, but this could get dangerous very quickly. Are you sure you’re ready for a confrontation like this?”_ Keromatsu questioned, trying desperately to keep himself level-headed. This would be the first time Satoshi has willingly interacted with people other than his mother and Okido, and there was a strong chance he could get hurt. If there was ever a time he hated the fact that he wasn’t in his final evolution…

“It doesn’t matter if I am or not. This is my fault and I need to fix it,” Satoshi replied, his shaking hands giving away his nervousness even as his voice stayed surprisingly steady. “I should’ve talked to ‘Geru when I felt comfortable going to Okido-hakase’s lab more often. But I was scared about how he’d react to my Aura training, and I shouldn’t have been ‘cause Eievui said ‘Geru wants to beat them up for hurting me. That means he doesn’t care that I’m…not normal…and I really should’ve talked to him before so he wouldn’t do something like this–”

 _“Calm down, Satoshi,”_ Keromatsu soothed, leaping back up to his trainer’s shoulder from where he had jumped down to allow the boy to change clothes. He gently pat at the boy’s cheek, the comforting gesture practically ingrained in him now after all these months. _“It’s not your fault those brats are violent bullies. And don’t blame yourself for needing to get away from that environment. Sometimes retreat is the only option, and not just in Pokemon battles. You also can’t blame yourself for your friend having his own ideas on how to deal with the situation. While it’s true you could have talked to him during these past few months, that’s no guarantee that he wouldn’t still pull a stunt like this.”_ He made sure to lock gazes with Satoshi as he repeated himself. _“This is_ not _your fault, Satoshi.”_

Satoshi was still a moment before taking a deep breath, nuzzling against the Water-type’s keromousse. “I…It might take me a bit to start believing that, Keromatsu, but I’ll try. I promise.”

 _“Good enough for now.”_ Keromatsu murmured. _“We’ll discuss it more later. Eievui is waiting.”_

With that, all three of them rushed out of the house, meeting with the small brown Pokemon just beyond the porch. No words were spoken as the boy motioned for Eievui to follow, the group rushing toward the far side of town where the school resided, set between a small forest and the shore. None of them had noticed –but would later be extremely grateful for– the fact that Foodin had woken as they left and saw them departing.

…-…-…-…-…

Shigeru glared hard, arms crossed tight against his chest, as he confronted Saito Minoru and his gang at the tree line just beyond the playground. Minoru had acquired another goon in the time since Satoshi was pulled from school, making six bullies for Shigeru to face. A small voice inside of him was pointing out just how bad the odds were, but Shigeru was ignoring it. He knew two of the teachers were already at school this morning, so he wasn’t far from help if he needed it.

Besides, all six of them knew Okido-hakase was his grandfather, so they _should_ know that trying to hurt him would be a bad idea.

“What do _you_ want, Okido?” Minoru demanded, a halfway decent sneer on his face for a nine year-old.

Almost growling, Shigeru snapped back. “What do you _think_? I’ve finally figured out why you and these idiots bullied Satoshi so much. And since nobody else has done anything about it, I decided I needed to give you jerks a piece of my mind!”

Minoru actually rolled his eyes, and Shigeru had to forcefully stomp down the urge to launch at him right then and there. “Seriously? You actually care about that freak?” The taunting smirk that followed had Shigeru vibrating with rage. “Maybe I should tell my dad about what the stupid freak can do. He’ll be happy to do an exorcism on him.”

“Satoshi doesn’t need an exorcism!” Shigeru stomped a foot as he spoke. “And he’s not a freak! I bet you’re just jealous since he can use Aura, unlike you jerks!”

A couple of the bullies looked surprised by this, but Minoru and the rest all laughed at Shigeru. “Aura? That’s a fairy tale for babies, Okido! You just don’t wanna admit he’s freak of nature! A demon!”

Shigeru saw red at the insult, throwing caution to the wind and launching at Minoru with a surprisingly accurate right hook. “YOU TAKE THAT BACK!”

The blow landed, and with it, the fight was on. Minoru looked faintly homicidal as he snapped at his goons to get him.

…-…-…-…-…

It was about a ten minute run from Satoshi’s house to Masara Town’s small school, and every minute that passed seemed to visibly weigh on both Eievui and Satoshi, making Keromatsu and Koratta tense up. None of the four had a good feeling about what might happen, or might have already happened. The bad feeling intensified once they were close enough to the school and saw a couple boys hurrying away from the playground side of the building.

Satoshi was going to ask if the pair had seen Shigeru, but that became unnecessary when a scream ripped through the air. Eievui hurried ahead with a distressed bark at the scream, Satoshi paling as he instantly grasped the significance. “Koratta! Follow her with _Quick Attack_!”

 _“R-Right!”_ Koratta zipped forward, both Pokemon vanishing around the side of the building while the two kids that had been running froze at the sight of the group of four.

Satoshi barely stopped to acknowledge them with a borderline scowl, Keromatsu matching it as he hopped up to his trainer’s shoulder. “Go get a teacher! _NOW!_ ” It almost could’ve been funny how quickly the two scrambled into the building. But Satoshi had moved on from them the second he’d finished speaking, rushing toward the playground as quickly as he could.

He froze for a moment once he had line-of-sight to the far side of the playground and took in what was happening.

Shigeru was up against a tree, two bullies holding his arms out to the sides and a third pinning his legs down near the roots, all of them keeping him from escaping. From the dirt and tears in the bullies’ clothing, Shigeru had clearly not been caught without a fight. Minoru was just in front of Shigeru and was even more dirty than the other three. Unfortunately, he was also punching Shigeru in the chest and stomach repeatedly, and the brunet was coughing up blood and calling out in pain with every blow.

Something in Satoshi and Keromatsu snapped at the sight, the Bubble Frog moving even as Satoshi shouted, “LEAVE HIM ALONE, MINORU! EVERYONE, STOP HIM!”

Eievui and Koratta, by virtue of being closer, reached the bullies first. Koratta curved around to ram Minoru in the side with _Quick Attack_ while Eievui came from the opposite direction to _Tackle_ the one pinning Shigeru’s legs. Path clear, Keromatsu leapt high and shot a large fistful of keromousse at the each of the bullies holding Shigeru’s arms, blinding them. With nothing supporting him, Shigeru slumped down the tree, thankfully not falling on his front, and Satoshi ran straight for him.

“Keep them away, I’ll help ‘Geru!”

That was all the instruction the Pokemon needed. Eievui repelled the bullies further back by getting between them and Shigeru’s position and using _Sand Attack_. Koratta used two more _Quick Attack_ s to knock the bullies Keromatsu had already blinded even further back and on their rears so they would stop flailing around. Keromatsu pinned those two with more keromousse while aiming a deliberately weak _Bubbl_ e toward Minoru and the other bully to knock them down. He was about to pin them with keromousse too, but Satoshi’s shouts distracted him as well as Eievui and Koratta.

“C’mon, ‘Geru, wake up! Don’t go to sleep! _Shigeru!_ ”

When Keromatsu looked, his heart nearly stopped as he saw Satoshi with his hands against Shigeru’s chest, crying as his Aura started to encompass both boys. He was terrified that Satoshi might unconsciously be doing what he had in the future, transferring his Aura to save someone, and the Water-type abandoned his current task to rush over.

_“Satoshi, don’t! You could kill yourself!”_

“B-But they hurt him so bad! I can’t let him die, Keromatsu! I WON’T!”

Desperation clouding his judgement, Keromatsu latched on to Satoshi with the intention of pulling him away. But when he touched Satoshi, it was…it was almost like they had activated _Kizuna Genshou_. Keromatsu’s sight seemed to overlay with Satoshi’s, power coursing through them both. But there was no transformation, no water veil. Instead, everything but Shigeru and themselves seemed to fade out, and they could clearly see the injured boy highlighted in his own life-force.

His chest and stomach were pulsing red to their sight, signaling the most serious injuries, while the rest of Shigeru’s cyan-colored life-force wavered in and out of existence. Somehow, Keromatsu and Satoshi knew this meant Shigeru was literally edging closer to death, and their acknowledgement of that caused Satoshi’s star-blue Aura to encircle them all. The second Keromatsu felt and saw the Aura transferring to Shigeru, he instinctively reached out to restrain it, causing the bubble of Aura to become a blend of star-blue and cobalt.

He could feel Satoshi struggle against the restraint, an echo of a memory passing between them in reaction. Keromatsu heard the recollection of Okido listing what Aura Guardians could do, specifically the ability to heal, and realized what Satoshi was _trying_ to do but lacked the control to accomplish.

Healing clearly required fine control while life-force transfer just required the unyielding desire to save. His trainer really didn’t do anything by halves, did he? Concentrating, Keromatsu imparted his experience in control of his own abilities through their blended Aura, their connection, and the change was near instantaneous.

The bubble condensed until it only encircled Satoshi’s hands against Shigeru’s chest, then began pulling and threading Shigeru’s cyan life-force through the red until it became a pale yellow. The flickering in-and-out of existence also stopped, telling both Keromatsu and Satoshi that Shigeru was no longer in imminent danger of death.

Just in time too, as exhaustion washed over them both and the connection between them broke. Satoshi blacked out immediately, slumping forward into Shigeru’s body. Keromatsu managed to take in the fact that Koratta and Eievui were crowded close, Hanako and Foodin were present with an unknown woman –though Foodin suddenly teleported away–, and the bully called Minoru was no where in sight. As his consciousness fled, all Keromatsu could think to himself was:

 _If Hanako doesn’t ground us for a month, I swear_ I _will._

…-…-…-…-…

When Keromatsu woke up, the first thing he did was look for Satoshi. Not that he had to look far, since someone had been smart and just laid Keromatsu on the boy’s chest. In fact, Koratta and Eievui were also present, curled on either side of Satoshi and sleeping soundly. Next, the Bubble Frog took in where they were, and realized a few things:

One, they were in a bedroom Keromatsu didn’t recognize. Two, Shigeru was in a second bed next to theirs, an IV-drip attached to his left wrist and a heart monitor nearby. Three, Foodin was floating between the beds in meditation, looking surprisingly relaxed considering the prior events.

The Psychic-type opened her eyes as Keromatsu shifted into a sitting position, and she gave him a faint smile before speaking telepathically.

_::How are you feeling, Keromatsu?::_

_“Mostly dehydrated, and a little tired, but surprisingly good considering. How long was I out?”_

_::Around ten hours. It’s late afternoon.::_

_Hm, longer than the last time Satoshi and I collapsed after using our bond. At least, I_ think _that’s what we did… “I see. And I guess we’re not in a hospital…”_

Foodin shook her head. _::No, this is a guest bedroom in the residence area of Okido-hakase’s lab. He made the decision that a hospital wouldn’t be the best idea, since Satoshi-chan used a new ability openly. Better to be somewhere familiar and comfortable. And Shigeru-chan flat out refused to go where Satoshi-chan wouldn’t.::_

_“Then he woke up at some point?”_

_::Yes, thank the Creator. Satoshi-chan’s attempt to heal him was fairly successful. There is some minor internal scarring where broken ribs had caused some damage. But the organs are healed and the bones are mended to a couple fractures. He’ll be tender and sore for a few weeks at least, but Shigeru-chan will be fine.::_

Keromatsu gave a faint smile at that, glancing back at his slumbering trainer. _“Satoshi will be glad for that. And I guess our Aura-Guardian-to-be is suffering acute exhaustion and dehydration as well?”_

 _::Yes, actually. Other than that, Satoshi-chan seems to be fine.::_ Foodin tilted her head with obvious curiosity. _::So, what exactly happened this morning? The children who fetched a teacher refused to talk, as did the children you’d pinned down with your keromousse. Eievui and Koratta were too worried about the boys to tell me anything before they passed out.::_

The Bubble Frog couldn’t help but give a snort of wry amusement. _“Apparently Shigeru is just as impulsive, maybe even more so, than Satoshi.”_

Foodin blinked and hummed a bit. _::Well, they’ve been best friends since they were infants, so that’s not all that surprising. But why do you say so?::_

 _“You remember me telling you I felt like someone was spying on Satoshi? Turns out it was Shigeru, following us around. Eievui didn’t have time to go into details, but she_ did _say he was trying to figure out why Satoshi hadn’t come to see him yet. He found out through observation about Satoshi’s Aura training and decided that his abilities were the reason Satoshi had been bullied.”_

 _::And he decided to get payback,::_ Foodin finished for the Bubble Frog, groaning a bit when he nodded. _::Of course he did. No doubt he thought his status as Okido-hakase’s grandson would keep them from fighting back too hard. I_ told _Okido-hakase Shigeru-chan’s entitlement issue would get him into trouble one day.::_

 _“His heart was in the right place,”_ Keromatsu offered, _“But he really should’ve known better than to test his odds of taking on four bullies at once.”_

_::Four?::_

Keromatsu nodded with a scowl. _“A boy Satoshi called Minoru was the one pounding on Shigeru when we arrived, while the other three were pinning him to a tree. I got distracted helping Satoshi control his Aura to heal his friend, so Minoru was the only one not pinned with keromousse. It wouldn’t shock me if he fled.”_

Foodin had an almost terrifying glare on her face at the information. _::He was the one Butterfree said almost blinded that little girl, Fuguri-chan. If I_ ever _get my hands on that_ brat _… Still, at least I can report this to Okido-hakase and Hanako-dono. They’ll pass it along to Officer Junsa when she arrives.::_

_“She isn’t here already?”_

_::No, unfortunately. She was in the middle of responding to a case of Pokemon abuse, so she sent a couple standard officers ahead to take statements until she can make it out here.::_

_“Well that’s something at least,”_ Keromatsu huffed, flopping back down on his stomach. _“So it’s just a waiting game for right now?”_

 _::For now,::_ Foodin agreed before she smiled a little too sweetly at him. _::And I’m sorry, but you don’t get to go back to sleep yet._ You _get to tell Butterfree and Pidgeot what happened.::_

_“…You’re surprisingly cruel when you want to be.”_

_::I know.::_

…-…-…-…-…

The next couple days were spent giving statements to Officer Junsa, Okido, and the parents of all the children involved –with Foodin acting as a translator for Keromatsu, Eievui, and Koratta–. Keromatsu was disappointed that Minoru didn’t get the same level of punishment as the other three bullies that had attacked Shigeru. Apparently, since Shigeru threw the first punch, at Minoru, and _technically_ instigated the whole incident, Minoru wouldn’t be sent to juvie like his cohorts.

He would be placed under a three year parole, with a restraining order enforced via ankle-monitor, and would be forced to wait an additional year to get his training license. Unless Okido-hakase or a law enforcement officer was present, Minoru could not be within a quarter of a mile of either Shigeru or Satoshi. That radius would be extended to half a mile once all three boys began their journeys until the end of Minoru’s parole period.

Frankly, it wasn’t nearly punishment enough in every Pokemon’s opinion, especially since he was getting off on a technicality and because his preacher father had thrown a fit. _That_ had nearly ended in Hanako getting into a _knock-‘em-out-drag-‘em-out_ fight with the man that Keromatsu would’ve paid to see. Sadly, Officer Junsa didn’t let that happen and threatened both parents with an overnight lock up.

The upside was that the punishment necessitated in Shigeru being switched to home-schooling, and the boy was determined to study with Satoshi. That meant the boys had to take the time to talk and reconnect, which was good for them both.

Of course, there were some new problems to contend with. Hanako was going through an overprotective streak –as was Butterfree–, refusing to let Satoshi go anywhere outside either home or Okido’s lab without her. Satoshi’s use of a new Aura ability meant that the parents and kids involved in the incident knew about his affinity now and had spread it around Masara Town. Which also meant he was constantly being either stared at or pestered about his abilities, leading to Keromatsu, Butterfree, and Koratta nearly attacking people when Satoshi would become uncomfortable. Eievui even got in on protecting Satoshi, by Shigeru’s request since the brunet was still stuck in bed.

And of course, Satoshi had needed to up the number of times he meditated daily, as the use of an Aura ability he wasn’t ready for had damaged some of his control.

Satoshi’s memory of the moment he and Keromatsu connected was hazy, and Keromatsu himself wasn’t actually sure what had happened –nor could he discuss the possibility of the Kizuna Genshou reawakening with anyone. Combining this with the town now knowing Satoshi could use Aura, Okido made the decision that it was time to contact the Kingdom of Rota for assistance.

…-…-…-…-…

“C’mon, ‘Toshi! I’m sure it’s not gonna be that bad!”

“But ‘Geru, I have to talk to a queen! _A QUEEN!_ What if I accidentally insult her?!”

Keromatsu had to withhold a laugh as he listened to Satoshi and Shigeru bicker, Satoshi pushing his friend’s wheelchair as they walked toward the lab Okido planned to make the Vid-Call from. _Of all the things Satoshi could be worried about…_

 _“Satoshi, she may be royalty, but she’s also just another person. Just be polite and you’ll be fine,”_ the Bubble Frog tried to assure his charge in-between chuckles, which earned him a pout.

“I don’t know what Keromatsu said but you should listen to him, ‘Toshi!”

“Would you two stop ganging up on me?!”

 _“It could be worse,”_ Eievui commented from her spot on Shigeru’s lap. _“You could have to talk to a whole room of kings and queens. One queen should be no problem.”_

Satoshi stopped in his tracks at that, gaping down at the nonchalant Normal-type, which of course had Shigeru asking for a translation. The brunet nodded sagely when Satoshi gave said translation.

“She’s right. You’re just talking to one person so you’ll be fine. Plus me, Eievui, Keromatsu, and jii-chan will be with you! You _can’t_ screw up with that kind of backup!”

The flat look Satoshi leveled at his friend sent Keromatsu into hysterics. “Says the dummy in a wheelchair.”

“Details!” Shigeru replied, waving his hand imperiously. “The point is, you won’t be alone, and I’m proof that you’re going to be a good guardian, so she’d have to be an idiot not to help you!”

Neither Pokemon were sure there was actually a compliment in that claim or not, and Satoshi looked torn between being happy for Shigeru’s support and wanting to smack him for insulting the queen. Further discussion was halted by Okido poking his head out of the lab down the hall and waving toward them.

“Come along you two, it’s not polite to keep a lady waiting.”

While Shigeru at least had the decency to look sheepish, Satoshi sped up while paling, clearly thinking he’d already made a huge mistake taking so long. Keromatsu automatically nuzzled the boy’s cheek with calming murmurs, mentally berating the old man’s timing and word choice.

_“You’re going to be fine, Satoshi, I promise. We’re right here. I’m here with you. It’s just like when we told your mother about your abilities all those months ago. You’re not alone, just hold on to that. You. Are. Not. Alone.”_

Satoshi paused for a moment right outside the door to the lab, taking a deep breath and a quick nuzzle into Keromatsu’s keromousse to steady his nerves before continuing into the lab. He rolled Shigeru’s chair to the center of the room where Okido motioned, locking in its brakes before moving to stand next to it. Shigeru, showing he was more nervous than he’d let on, took hold of Satoshi’s hand in a supporting grip, and his best friend gave him a shaky smile in appreciation.

With another deep breath, Satoshi looked at Okido, who was off to the side in front of a console. “O-Okay, we’re ready.”

The man smiled encouragingly before typing a few things into the console. A screen lowered in front of them all, showing static for a second before it cleared once the call connected. There, set in a background of rose and snowdrop bouquets, was an elegant woman with wheat-gold hair and spring green eyes that smiled gently and happily the second she saw them.

Both Shigeru and Satoshi would later agree, years down the road, that her highness Queen Eileen would forever be known as one of the most beautiful ladies they’d ever met thanks to that smile.

“Good morning, you two must be Satoshi and Shigeru. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

…TBC…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Sooo, I meant to have this up yesterday but ended up working a double shift at work and…yeah, I was so brain-dead by the time I got home there was no way I was finishing the editing on this. Can I get a refund on this whole adult-ing thing?
> 
> \- Pokemon/Type energies - I feel I need to discuss this a little. How I’m running with this is each Pokemon type has its own unique energy, which can harmonize and/or clash depending on each individual Pokemon. If you’ve read a couple of my other stories, you’ll notice I’ve mentioned Gekkouga being leery of his partial Dark-Type/Dark-type energy. It’s a personal headcannon of mine that some Pokemon have issues with their own typings for various reasons. Also, when a human is able to utilize special abilities, such as Aura or Psychic abilities, they are not using the same energy type as a Pokemon would; they have their own unique wavelength. This will get explored more later, but I wanted to at least mention it now.
> 
> \- Shigeru - Yeah, I’m trying to make Shigeru a better best friend this time around without him completely losing his arrogance. Let me know how I’m doing on that, okay?
> 
> \- Eievui - I’ve rewatched the first few seasons and looked on every Pokemon website I know. No one has a definitive answer on where or when Shigeru got his Eievui. So guess who’s getting his partner early?
> 
> \- Healing Scene - I don’t want to get too detailed here since that would involve spoilers, but I will point out a couple things. I have dropped hints in the previous chapters about the bond reconnecting/having some issues and Keromatsu having an affinity towards Aura he doesn’t realize. Also, Satoshi doesn’t actually have the Healing ability yet, this was one of those stress-induced-reaction moments. More about this will come later.
> 
> \- Punishment for the bullies/Minoru - Sadly, it’s not unusual for criminals (juvenile and adult) to get out of their deserved sentences on either technicalities or by cutting deals. Only reason Minoru’s getting out of the more deserved punishment is I have a plan for him later.
> 
> \- Something I wanted to go ahead and mention is how I’m going to handle Pokemon Move count and active abilities. For reasons that will be explained later, Pokemon can only use four moves in official matches unless otherwise stipulated at the start of a match. However, they of course can know more than four at any given time. For ease of training, most base-stage Pokemon will concentrate on four moves, 2nd stagers will concentrate on five moves, and 3rd stagers and Pokemon with no evolutions can concentrate on six moves. As for abilities, majority of Pokemon will only ever have one of the abilities of their species. Rarely, a Pokemon will gain access to a second ability, usually through extreme trauma or special breeding. And extremely rarely, a Pokemon will gain access to all of their species’ abilities, but, this will only ever occur with a combination of advanced strength, maturity, training, and genetics. The only exceptions to this rule are Legendary and Mythical Pokemon, who will always have access to their abilities regardless of age or experience.
> 
> Japanese to English (In order of appearance)
> 
> Utsubot - Victreebel  
> Ruffresia - Vileplume  
> Fushigisou - Ivysaur  
> Okido Shigeru - Gary Oak  
> Eievui - Eevee  
> jii-chan - Grandpa (more informal, affectionate term)  
> Serena - Serena  
> jii-san - Grandfather (more formal term)  
> Mt. Tengen - Mt. Coronet  
> Shirogane Conference - Silver Conference


End file.
